Colors of the Heart
by EtherealWave
Summary: Thirty years have passed and Saya and her neices must once again fight. However, emotions, secrets and blood ties will make the task more difficult. New loves begin, old loves continue, and hatred and jealousy run rampant in this continuation of Blood
1. Awaken

_For the sake of clarification, at the time this story was started, I was unaware of the official names of Saya's nieces per the Light novels. This fanfiction is based entirely on the anime. Furthermore, I take no credit for any of the original Blood+ characters. Thank you, and enjoy the story!_

* * *

He popped the cap of the marker back on and couldn't help but become a little excited. Kai had just marked off another day on the calendar he kept in his room just for this countdown. It would be thirty years in exactly nine days. Glancing over in a mirror, he almost had to laugh. His hair, although still mostly red, had a few grey hairs here and there. He refused to dye them, convinced he'd earned any grey that he may have. He'd managed to keep most of the weight off, but he certainly wasn't as lean as he once was. However, he'd needed to stay spry enough to keep up with Hoshi and Tsukiko. Although thirty, both still very much resembled fifteen year olds. Unlike Saya, they'd both grown up knowing they were not human and accepting their differences the best that they could. Tsukiko had even decided to pick up the fight where their aunt left off, traveling with him whenever Red Shield discovered a local chiroptera. Hoshi choose to embrace her human qualities, usually letting her supernatural abilities lay dormant.

Soon, they would be meeting their aunt…the woman who made them orphans. That particular bit of information he had not told them. He would leave that to Saya, to disclose as she saw fit.

He glanced at the calendar again.

"Soon, Saya. We'll all be together again soon…"

* * *

She knew she was still asleep, but she could feel him there. It made her smile as her body slowly and steadily returned to consciousness. No matter where she traveled or how long it took, they would always be together. It helped this time around that Haji knew where she was.

The wind brushed against her face and she knew that he'd entered her hibernation chamber. Finally, she felt awake enough to open her eyes. Because of how low she was to the ground, the first thing she saw was his knees. She could tell that he was still in his traditional suit. In the ever-changing world that she was a part of, it was nice to know that he would always be constant. She saw him kneel down before her, the cello case on his back hitting the ground with a sharp thud.

"Saya…"

It relieved her that her memory was still hers this time. Perhaps her amnesia the last time was just a result of being forced to awaken. She reached out to Haji, who took her hand and helped her to her feet, steadying her gently as she stood for the first time in thirty years.

"You awoke a little early," he said nonchalantly.

"That's fine with me," she told him, brushing her hair from her face. The thirty years of sleep had once again lengthened her hair into a black waterfall that caressed the back of her knees.

She looked down at her clothing. The school outfit that she'd wore the day she fell asleep was all but dust now and clung delicately to her body. Haji held out a simple black cotton dress for her and turned his back as she shed her clothing and put on his gift.

It hit her as an after-thought: she'd been asleep for thirty years. How would everyone look? Was Jahana-san still traveling the world? Did Julia-san have her child? What about her nieces…?

"Haji?"

He turned around and the memory of the last time she'd seen him filled her mind. This was a man that loved her. Somehow…no, she'd always known. It was in his actions, in his quiet respect for her every wish. Nothing had ever come of her knowledge though, since she had not allowed herself the simple pleasure of deciding to fall in love. The promise she'd made almost two centuries ago had kept her from considering a love with love. And now? And now…

"Saya, is everything okay?"

She'd been standing there in a daze, her hand still in his. A blush filled her checks and she pulled her hand from his.

"I was…uh…" She struggled to remember what it was that she'd meant to ask him.

"Ah, that's right. Have you been keeping an eye on my nieces for me?"

"They are well," he told her. "Kai has been raising them in much the same way as Joel raised you."

"I hope they aren't as spoiled as I am," she replied. "I was such a brat back then…"

"I do not know," he interrupted, neither confirming nor negating her comment. "I have not been in contact with them. I've just been watching, hoping that neither of them turned out like their mother."

"Diva."

The word sat heavy in her mouth, weighing down her tongue and turning her stomach. How close had she been to her own death the day that she killed her sister? In a weird kind of way, she had Riku to thank for her still being alive. If not for his sacrifice…. He saved her, even if it had cost him his life. However, none of them could have ever known it at the time.

She shook her head, losing her balance as she tried to clear her mind of her twin sister. Haji caught her, pulling her close. He was so warm…

"I…I have missed you, Saya."

The small confession overwhelmed her. She clung to him, only slowly becoming aware of the beating blood in the neck that was so close to her own. Knowing her moods all too well after over a hundred years of companionship, Haji simply pulled his shirt away from his neck.

"Drink, Saya. You need your strength, and Julia-san will take some time to get a hold of."

Saya stared at the vein in his neck, feeling the urge rise as each moment passed. Part of her wanted to resist, to cling to her humanity. However, in such an inhuman place, with only her and her Chevalier…

Haji only held her closer as she fed from him, drinking his blood as the guilty pleasure that she considered it. She did not take much, stopping after she felt the energy running through her limbs.

"Arigatou, Haji," she told him as she finished, wiping her lips clean.

He stared at her for a moment, not saying anything. Just as she was about to ask what he was looking at, he broke eye contact, rising to his feet. It had always been so hard to read  
Haji before…for some reason, she felt as though that barrier was starting to crumble. In his eyes, she could see the love he felt for her, even if he didn't voice it at the time.

"What do you wish to do now?" he finally asked her.

"Let's go see my family," she replied, standing.

Haji picked up his case, taking his place just behind Saya, at her side. As she started to leave the enclosure, she caught glimpse of herself in a dusty mirror. Her hair was down entirely too long. Kai would definitely have to cut it again.

* * *

"Nee-san!"

Hoshi looked up from the book she was reading for class. Kai had let her enroll in some online college courses. He'd rather she didn't take off for a major city and go to school, and the truth of the matter is she really didn't want to leave. Although she and her sister had both been raised as humans, the fact remained that they weren't. It would've been too awkward to leave home and be a new face amongst so many people without her sister or Kai…

"Nee-sannnnnn!"

Tsukiko shoved open the door, glaring at her sister. Neither of them knew who was technically the oldest, so it was always a source of jokes with them. Hoshi closed her book, looking up into her sister's red-brown eyes.

"What?"

"You don't feel that?" Tsukiko asked, exasperation filling her voice. "You know, you might as well be human. You can't even feel the presence of another chiropteran."

Hoshi immediately became more aware of the buzzing that had begun a few moments ago. She had just thought she'd been reading too much and needed a break. It happened sometime.

"Is it dangerous?" she asked. Although she didn't help physically fight, she did provide samples of her blood to Julia and her son, Mikael, so that they could do more research on both weapons and for the sake of science.

"No, this one feels different," Tsukiko told her, sitting on her desk. "The wild ones feel more like a throbbing since they're unnatural. This one is just…"

"A gentle buzzing."

"Yeah, exactly."

Tsukiko got up and went to the window, looking out at the sunset.

"I think it's Saya Oba-san."

They had both grown up hearing stories about their aunt and how she'd saved the world from a chiropteran threat the same time they were born. Kai had shown them pictures and they usually tagged along whenever he went to deliver flowers at her sleeping place each birthday. Hoshi and Tsukiko both liked to daydream about what kind of person Haji, Saya Oba-san's Chevalier, was.

"She's awake?" Hoshi asked. "Thirty years won't be up for another week…"

"Let's go see!"

Rather than a request, it was a command, Tsukiko grabbing her sister's arm as she rushed down the stairs.

"But Nee-san…don't you think we should tell Kai?"

"Kai is busy with the dinner rush," Tsukiko told her. "Besides, think of how fun it would be to see the look on his face when we bring her inside."

By now they were at the back door, sneaking into the alley next to the restaurant where they lived.

"Anyway…I want to meet her on our own. I want to see what kind of person Saya-sama is. If she's really as wonderful as Kai makes her out to be."

Hoshi wanted the same thing. However, she would always keep her desires inside while Tsukiko would sing them to the heavens. They were two different halves of the same whole. Their names were more than merely a cute play on their being twins…

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Hoshi finally said. "I may be more human than not, but I've still got some spring in my step…"

She leapt to the top of a light post, then to the top of the nearest building. Her blue eyes twinkled in the night, reflecting the stars in the sky. Tsukiko laughed, following her sister, and the two sped towards the place where Saya slept.

* * *

Saya felt them coming, heard their laughter in her mind minutes before she saw either of them. A slight feeling of panic raced through her. The laughter was so much like Diva's…No. She couldn't, she refused to look at them through their mother. Those two girls were their own beings, just like she was different from her sister. Still, she found herself becoming a little tense. Would they like her? Would she like them? Kai was obviously not with them, or they wouldn't be playing among the rooftops. If he was still the Kai he remembered, he would've scolded them.

"They are here," Haji announced.

Two figures landed a few yards away from her. Almost simultaneously, they raised their eyes to look at her. The one on the right had her eyes…brown that would become red should she activate her true strength. Her hair was medium length and would probably brush her shoulders if it wasn't in a ponytail. She was certainly a tomboy, clothed in shorts, a simple t-shirt and sneakers. At her side was the one who had gained Diva's blue eyes. She resembled Diva, embracing her femininity with long locks that stopped at her waist and a simple white blouse to go with her jeans.

They stood there for a moment, Saya and Haji facing her nieces. Finally, the one on the right took a few steps forward.

"Are you….no, you have to be Saya Oba-san," she said, looking her straight in the eyes.

Saya found herself smiling.

"Oba-san, huh?" she said. "That's going to take a while to get used to…"

"We can call you Saya-sama instead, if you like," the blue-eyed twin said, coming forward as well.

"I don't care what you call me," she told them. "But it would help if I knew what to call you."

"I'm Hoshi," the one on the left said.

"Tsukiko," the other chimed in.

"Well," Saya said, extending her arms, "come here and give me a hug. I haven't seen you since you were babies…"

They looked at each other, and laughter filled the air as the three women embraced. Saya held them close, remembering with guilt when she'd thought she could kill them. She shook her head, realizing that it would take some time to get over the past. What was done was done, and she had an eternity to get to know her nieces. She couldn't help but notice that they smelled like Kai and the honeysuckle shampoo she used to use. They smelled like home. Tears started to come to her eyes and when a sob shook her chest, the two girls let her go and looked up at her.

"Don't cry, Saya Oba-san," Hoshi told her.

"Is that Haji?" Tsukiko asked.

Saya glanced over her shoulder at him, watching him bow formally.

"Yes, that is Haji. You've probably felt him at one point or another," Saya told them.

"He does kinda feel familiar," Tsukiko said.

"What are we waiting for?" Hoshi asked. "We need to take you home to Kai. Besides, you're probably starving after fasting for thirty years, huh?"

"No, I'm just fine…"

As always, her stomach revealed the truth of the matter and another eruption of laughter filled the evening air as the four chiropterans headed back to civilization.

* * *

He sat at the top of the building, watching his somewhat distant relatives stroll down the streets of Okinawa. One of them would prove to be the one he needed, the one he had been destined for. One of them would receive his seed and produce the family he'd always wanted.

Looking down at the shackles that still clung to his ankles, he swore that he would know happiness. No matter what it would take.


	2. Saddistic Storytime

He missed them enter for several reasons. First of all, his back was towards the door. He was in the middle of a rather large order of pan fried noodles while watching the various tea pots heat up. Second of all, the dinner rush had reached its peak and the noise was enough to make one forget to think. Various students from Koza, the high school where they'd all attended in their youth, worked there part-time, or just hung around, giving a helping hand now and then. Kai had developed a strong relationship with the community, serving as a base and taking on some of his adoptive father's more endearing qualities.

"Hoshi and Tsukiko are back," a young girl told him as she picked up a pot of tea to deliver to a family that had just been seated.

"They took off again without telling me, huh?" he laughed, wiping his hands on his apron. "Hey, Ristuko, come over here and watch this for me for a sec."

One of the senior members of his staff walked over, a high school dropout who preferred cooking to just about anything else, took over as she often did while Kai conducted business elsewhere. He walked around the counter and looked up at the door where his two nieces stood there.

However, he wasn't ready to see the woman at their side.

Saya almost burst into tears as she saw the various emotions flash over Kai's face. There was the shock of seeing her, the pleasure at her being awake, but she wasn't quite prepared for the sadness that lingered.

"Kai…" she started, thinking of something to say. In the end, she said the only thing that could be said. "_Tadaimasu_."

Kai maneuvered his way through the tables, finally making it to Saya.

"_Okaeri nasai_," he told her, and they both started crying as they embraced.

Hoshi and Tsukiko looked at each other. There wasn't much more to do besides let them have time alone. Together, their shadows blending, they made their way up to their rooms.

* * *

Kai and Saya sat outside, the moon just barely a crescent and a few weeks away from being full. The restaurant had closed only ten minutes ago, and the students were making quick work of the dishes and cleaning the tables. There'd probably be suds on the ceiling from the various soap fights they had, but they knew he didn't care as long as the place was clean.

"Do you dream when you sleep?" he asked.

Neither of them looked at each other, enjoying the time alone with each other. He wasn't too concerned with letting the girls meet her first, since they were blood relatives. Besides, why shouldn't they be curious about the aunt they'd never met?

"Not really…although I do see things," she replied. "I think they're glimpses of what's going on outside. For some reason, I knew that the girls would turn out the way they did. They remind me of myself before I freed Diva."

"Spoiled?"

"Uh huh," she laughed.

Where to start? How do you sum up thirty years in a conversation? He was sure the girls had told her a lot, but he still felt as though it was his responsibility to fill in the rest. After all, no matter how much older she may be, she would always be his little sister.

"Did Julia and David-san ever get married?" she asked.

"No. They never saw any reason to make their relationship official. Especially since she's spending more time at headquarters while he's either training people or out on some mission."

"So Red Shield has been rebuilt?"

"For most part. Joel-san is up walking after going through physical therapy. He's got a slight limp though. Probably always will."

"Are the chiroptera still at large?"

"Yes. Nowhere near as bad as last time, but they're still around…and they may always be." Kai said, getting up to walk around. She stayed on the bench, watching him start to pace a bit.

"From the research that Julia and her son have been doing, it seems that the development of chiroptera is a natural progression of mankind. However, this progression is only the result of some kind of alien influence that appeared."

Saya was silent, not knowing how to react to the information. To think, she had thought her kind just monsters. It'd never occurred to her that it was just the next stage in human evolution…

"Have they isolated that source?"

"No. They don't even know how long it's been here or anything. They've managed to get their hands on chiropterans, dead and alive, that are older than you, Saya."

"Older than me?"

He nodded. It'd never occurred to her that there might be chiropteran older than she and Diva. But, truth be told, she'd never given it much thought. She'd been so consumed in destroying both her twin and all of their kind…

This awakening would require several mental shifts. From dying to living, from fighting to questioning, from killing to healing…

"Is there anything else I should know, Kai?" she asked, getting up and starting to head to the house. This information was more than enough for one night.

"Unfortunately…"

He walked ahead of her, opening the door, fussing at the students who were still in there. Saya watched as he had the remaining workers document their hours, start a load of laundry, pick up their items and leave. It was only after he'd locked the door that he turned back to her.

"Someone has started the artificial creation of chiroptera again. Getting rid of Diva seems to only have been the beginning."

* * *

Hoshi heard the soft knock at her door and muttered "come in." The only person who ever bugged her after ten was her sister. However, from the way her hair raised up, she knew that it wasn't Tsukiko.

Saya walked in, a shy look on her face.

"You know, you are older than us, Saya Oba-san," Hoshi smiled. "You can act like it."

"I know," she said, sitting down in a chair next to Hoshi's desk. Hoshi put away the outline she'd been working on and rested her head on her arms.

"We look like we could be triplets instead of aunt and nieces," Hoshi laughed.

"Very true. Although you do resemble your father somewhat."

"You knew our father?" Tsukiko said, coming into the room and closing the door.

Hoshi wasn't sure if she was pleased or irritated at Tsukiko's intrusion. Some one-on-one time with her aunt would've been nice…but that was the nature of her sister, for better or for worse. She felt another presence and looked at the window.

"Haji can come in if he wants," she told Saya.

Saya looked over at the window and showed no surprise when Haji pulled up the window and climbed inside, pulling the case in behind him.

"So, tell us about our parents," Tsukiko said.

Hoshi was shocked to notice the same look of discomfort come over Saya as it always did Kai when the subject of their mother and father came up. Saya took a deep breath and the look went away, replaced with one of determination.

"Has Kai told you anything about your mother besides that she is my twin?"

"We were always told that it was something that you should reveal to us," Hoshi said. "We figured it wasn't a pleasant story, otherwise everyone would simply have told us as part of the stories about you."

"That is the truth," Saya said. "I will tell you a very basic outline of your parentage and my true relationship with your mother, but you must be quiet until I am done. After that, you may ask whatever questions you want."

Hoshi nodded, looking to see if her sister would do the same. Tsukiko waved her hand impatiently, ready to hear the story that had been left untold for thirty years.

"I was the oldest, a man named Joel having opened the cocoon encasing me before that of my sister. He named me Saya and raised me as his own daughter. However, my sister - your mother – was left to hatch naturally, and when she did she was sealed away in a tower and experimented on."

Hoshi saw Tsukiko the moment she opened her mouth and shot her a glance. Her sister closed her lips and simply let the rage show through her eyes. Saya waited a moment before continuing.

"The day I became aware of your mother's existence, I gave her the name Diva because she had a beautiful voice. She truly sounded like an angel, and I wanted to get to know her. One day, I let her out of the cell where she was kept and left to collect flowers for Joel. When I returned, it was to find my home in flames and Diva standing over the body of the man who'd raised me. She'd killed almost everyone in the house.

"After that day, I decided that I would pursue Diva to the ends of the earth and kill her, then kill myself. I felt we were unnatural beings that did not belong in this world and should no longer exist. That war between your mother and I lasted for almost a hundred years. In the final battle, we dealt each other blows with swords soaked in our own blood. However, her blood lost its ability to harm me and convert others to chiropteran when she gave birth to you. So she died while I lived."

Saya halted a moment, and Hoshi was hard pressed to figure out what emotions covered her aunt's face. The best way to describe it would be bittersweet when she finally laughed a little and finished the story.

"The only way a queen can become pregnant is through the blood of another queen's Chevalier. Diva had no interest in Haji, but only recently I had made Kai's little brother…my little brother…into a Chevalier. Diva raped him in order to give birth to you…"

"You killed our mother?" Tsukiko cried, standing to her feet.

Saya said nothing, averting her eyes from both girls. Tsukiko stalked over to where Saya sat.

"Look at me!"

Once Saya raised her eyes to the ones that resembled her own, she was only a little startled to feel a heavy blow strike her face. Hoshi shifted her eyes from the two women to Haji. Apparently he felt that this was something that simply needed to be endured for he never moved from his place.

"Yes," Saya said softly. "I killed your mother. If I had not, she would have converted millions of people into chiroptera in her desire to get revenge on humanity. She was convinced that we could not live together because of how Joel shunned her. If I thought I could have reasoned with her, I probably would have tried."

Tsukiko's eyes glazed over with tears. Hoshi wondered at her own lack of emotion. Before her sat the woman that had made them orphans, and she understood perfectly. Besides, Diva was not someone she had known; it was hard to mourn a mother that, for all purposes, never existed. Saya had been more of a mother in the past few hours than this Diva had ever been.

"Nee-san…" Hoshi said, walking over to her sister. "Don't you see that Saya Oba-san did nothing wrong. She made it so that we could live together with people like Kai and Julia-san and Mikael. Diva would have killed them all if Saya had not killed her first."

"But…how could she, Hoshi? How could she kill her own sister….How…?"

Tsukiko's sobs diminished to sniffles and Hoshi led her to her own room, glancing over apologetically at Saya.

* * *

Saya took a deep breath and wished that Kai hadn't already gone to bed. She needed someone to talk to…

"Saya."

Haji held out his hand to her. The usual icy indifference in Haji's eyes softened, a warmth flowing into them. She stumbled across the room, almost falling into his lap. Had that experience drained her so much? If she was this weak…

"It is a still night, Saya. Let us go and enjoy it."

"Thank you, Haji."

He sat her down only to hoist his case on his back and then picked Saya back up. The move caught her off guard. He used to only touch her when he thought she needed it. Well, maybe she needed it now…

He leapt out the window, balancing on a light pole and then leapt back onto the roof, finding the place between the two girls' rooms. Haji laid down his coat, offering her what little cushion he could before settling himself against the chimney.

"Sleep. Tomorrow is a new day."

Sleep, huh? She'd been sleeping for thirty years. Saya couldn't help but think of the irony that she would still need sleep after a hibernation that would put any animal to shame. Just before she lost consciousness, she felt something just at the edge of her mind. It wasn't hostile…at least, it didn't feel that way. Whatever it was, she'd deal with it later

As her eyes closed for the last time that evening, she noticed the river of black hair that spilt along the shingles of the roof. Somehow, in all the excitement, she'd forgotten to get someone to cut her hair.

* * *

To think, he'd thought that his choice would be an easy one. They were all so different. The one who had just woken from her hibernation period was obviously the eldest. He wasn't sure if she had a romantic relationship with her Chevalier, but it would be no matter in the end. The blue eyed twin fascinated him in her elegance. She would certainly be the queen to the kingdom he hoped to establish. But then there was the one with the fire eyes. He'd named her Phoenix as he'd watched her over the past month or so. She did everything with so much passion, including fighting and soccer.

Who to choose? If he was a man of lesser morals, he would probably seduce all of them, starting his own harem. However, his captivity had not completely deprived him of all his humanity. These were queens, after all. They deserved nothing less than the royal treatment.

Well, it seemed that he had no other choice. He would have to infiltrate their tight-knit circle and get to know them all. Only then could he decide which one would truly make him happy.

A smile crossed his face as he first sensed then saw movement from Tsukiko. So, the Phoenix thought to rise tonight? He had been too relaxed and let some of his power seep through. It had probably caught her attention. No matter. Phoenix she may be, but she would have to get up very, very early to be able to catch him.

* * *

Once on the roof, Tsukiko glanced once at Haji, who sat watch over Saya, then focused her attention on whatever it was out there. It had been watching, she could tell that much. Whatever it was, it was gone now. Damn it all, and she'd wanted a good fight too! She wasn't quite ready to forgive Saya for the death of her mother, although her rational side had to acknowledge that Diva needed to die for the sake of the world as she knew it. Still, it wasn't fair.

"It's not fair…" she murmured.

"It never is," Haji said simply. "Such is the essence of life."

Tsukiko took a deep breath, then let it out in frustration. She hated it…absolutely hated it…when other people were right. Even if it was someone as cute as Haji.

She gave him one more look over, then took off into the night, determined to find something to beat the shit out of before getting back to bed.


	3. Forgive, Forge On

Hoshi noticed with quiet amusement the faint blood stains on Tsukiko's clothing. It didn't smell of chiroptera, but some poor soul had fallen into her path last night. Well, the soul in question had probably started off being able to walk, falling only after the pounding she knew her sister could deliver. She thought back to the sparing games she and her sister would participate in while Kai and David gave the shooting range a run for its money. Tsukiko would always win if it was a test of sheer strength and aggression, but Hoshi would come out on top if the sparring required any thinking or endurance. She'd been on the kendo team when they went to high school and only declined positions on the national team because she knew she had an unfair advantage.

Adding in the laundry powder, she turned the washer on and headed to the kitchen to get herself some breakfast. Saya and Haji were already there, Kai talking to them in soft voices as steam curled up from their cups of coffee. Sometime that morning, Kai must have cut Saya's hair. It was back to the short length that Hoshi was used to seeing in the various pictures of her. Saya looked up at her as she entered, and Hoshi knew that it took her a second to figure out which twin she was.

"Hoshi," Saya said finally.

She nodded, grabbing a banana and a box of cereal. The table grew quiet as Hoshi cut the banana into her cereal and added some milk.

"Did you manage to get whatever was stalking around last night?" Hoshi asked.

"There was something outside last night?" Kai asked.

Apparently Saya and Haji hadn't mentioned it.

"I was too tired to bother with it, and I knew Haji would wake me if it became hostile," Saya said.

"So it just left?"

Saya nodded. Hoshi took a bite of her cereal and got up to pour some juice.

"Whatever it was took off, Kai," Hoshi reiterated. "Does anyone need anything?"

"Actually, some cereal with bananas does sound kinda good…" Saya said.

Hoshi grabbed another one and made Saya some cereal. She sat the bowl in front of her aunt and returned to her own bowl.

"We'll be opening a little late today," Kai said, setting down his now empty cup. "All the old Red Shield members are dropping by now that Saya is awake, so we'll be throwing a little 'welcome back' party of sorts."

Saya blushed a little and Haji smiled at her subtle modesty.

"Well, Saya-sama, you have been asleep for 30 years. For humans, that's about half a lifetime. I'm sure they've missed you. They certainly talked about you often enough."

"What did you guys tell the twins," Saya asked. "I'm beginning to worry a little…"

"Oh it wasn't anything too bad," Kai said. "At least, I wouldn't consider any of it bad."

"I don't know which worries me more," Saya sighed. "You telling them all the things I've done or making me out to be some kind of hero."

"Well, you are," Hoshi said, pushing her bowl aside. She got up, taking both her and Saya's bowls with her. "It was you, after all, who killed Diva and stopped the world from being overrun by chiroptera."

"Yes, it was, wasn't it?"

* * *

Everyone looked up at Tsukiko's entrance. Her hair was up in a towel, freshly washed, but Hoshi could smell the blood on her sister. Perhaps it was left under her fingernails. Tsukiko had never been one to have impeccable hygiene.

Tsukiko had something of a scowl on her face. Her eyes saw no one but Saya at the moment, the wounds of yesterday apparently slow in healing.

"Good morning, Saya-sama," Tsukiko said, offering a mocking bow to their aunt. "How might I be of service to you?"

"Tsukiko…" Kai warned, his body tensing to jump in if necessary. Of course, that was more instinct than anything. He would never be strong enough to put down a serious fight between two chiropteran queens.

"What, Kai? I'm only paying due respect to the savior of the world. Or else she might off me like she did our mother…"

"Your mother," Hoshi said, pouring herself some juice and returning to the table.

Tsukiko's demeanor changed instantly. Hoshi couldn't help but find herself a little amused. So, her sister had thought she was on the same page as her with this issue. Well, they usually were…

"What do you mean by that, Hoshi?" Tsukiko said. Her attention was now on her sister.

"What I mean is that a mother cares for her children, raises them, nurtures them. Diva may be our biological mother, but she had very little to do with the us that exists right now."

"She has everything to do with…"

"Tsukiko," Hoshi said. She could feel her temper start to flare. The only person who could ever get her riled was her sister. And Tsukiko may be the more impulsive of the two, but they all knew that Hoshi was the one you didn't want to cross.

Tsukiko realized this and backed off just a little. She took a seat between Hoshi and Kai, taking her sister's hand in her own. Her eyes started to fill with tears.

"But she killed our mother, Hoshi. She killed her own sister!"

"And the mother that you so blindly love raped our father to give birth to us," Hoshi replied.

"Raped?"

"I should've known you'd forget all about that part of the story," Hoshi said as she stood up from the table, placing her cup on the counter. "You always were too impulsive for your own good."

With that Hoshi left her sister to sort things out with Saya, however she decided to do so. She'd already come to terms with the death of their birth mother. She, for one, didn't intend to screw things up with the one woman who could possibly fill that void…

The word tasted filthy in her mouth. It tasted all too familiar. She and Kai had found corpses that rogue chiroptera had raped. They were usually impossible to identify outside of a DNA test with whatever material was leftover. Those were the images that came to mind when she heard the word "rape." And her mother had raped her father…

"My father was…?"

"Our brother," Kai said. "He was our little brother."

Tsukiko saw the sorrow come over Kai; Saya was more stoic about it, but the sadness emanated from her more deeply.

"She killed him, didn't she?"

Kai refused to meet her eyes. Tsukiko couldn't blame him. She wouldn't want to point fingers in a situation like this either. Sure, your mother raped and killed my little brother, but that's just water under the bridge. Now that she thought about it, it could easily have been Kai who was six feet under instead of his little brother. Who would've raised her and Hoshi then?

Tsukiko sat across the table from Saya, for the first time noticing that they shared the same eyes. Wouldn't she have crossed the earth to kill someone who had raped Hoshi and murdered Kai in cold blood? Wouldn't she have done that, and never had any of the compassion that Saya has when she speaks of Diva?

"Saya…I mean, Saya-sama…"

"Just Saya, Tsukiko. Just Saya. That's all I've ever wanted to be."

The weight of two-hundred years filled the eyes that started into her own. That was ten times her own meager lifespan. If Tsukiko was lucky, she'd become half the woman that Saya was. She reached across the table, taking her aunt's hand in her own, and silently pledged herself to that goal, regardless of how long it would take.

* * *

He fidgeted with the clothing he wore. It would take a long time getting used to wearing clothes like these, but whatever. It was one step closer to his goal, and that was all that mattered. He took one last look in the mirror, adjusted his shirt, put a final touch on his hair and gave himself a smile. His hazel eyes twinkled in a boyish fashion, and he couldn't help but laugh. What woman wouldn't fall for a face like this?

A last glance at his watch and his itinerary and he grabbed his case and headed out of his room.

* * *

It was a rare occasion when the restaurant closed, but this event warranted such a closing. The official reason was that the restaurant had been booked for a private party. It wasn't really a lie; it doesn't get much more exclusive than Red Shield.

Lucky for her, the guests arrived in ones and twos. If everyone had shown up at one time, it would've been a bit much for Saya. Julia and Mikael were among the first to show up. Julia's wrinkles had deepened, and her hair was mostly a white gold, but her eyes still held all the passion that they ever did. Mikael was a beautiful man, having his mother's lithe body and David's coloring. Despite his working with the twins, the aging process of a chiropteran didn't really hit him until he met Saya.

"You're over 200, yet you don't look a day over maybe 18. Mother, is their any research done on the age of her cells? How old they are and if they resemble that of an eighteen year old or if they reflect her actual age? Can you imagine what regenerative properties her body must have…"

"Calm down, dearheart," Julia laughed. "She is a friend, not a subject. Although, I must admit, you do raise some interesting questions. Maybe if you ask very nicely, Saya will cough up a lung or a kidney for you to examine."

"Julia-san!" Saya said, blushing deeply. "It's ok for him to be curious. He's only heard of me in whatever fairy tales you've been telling him."

"See, she understands," Mikael smiled. He grabbed Saya's hand, causing her to turn a new shade of red. "It will be a pleasure getting to know you better, Saya-san."

"And you as well, Mikael-kun," Saya responded. "I remember when Julia-san first found out that you were on the way."

It was Mikael's turn to blush. Soft laughter filled the air amongst the few gathered people. Joel sat with David, a small pot of coffee sitting between the two of them. Saya paused for a moment, struggling to recognize an unusual sound. It wasn't unfamiliar though; she knew she'd heard it someone once before. There was Kai, cooking. Hoshi and Tsukiko were chatting softly with Jahana and Okamura, the latter two sharing stories of their travels with the less experienced. Saya couldn't help but wonder the real relationship of those two. However, it really wasn't any of her business in the end. It wasn't until the strange sound ended that she located its source. The remnants of a smile lingered on Haji's lips as her eyes found his. He had been laughing. Then for the first time in many lifetimes, he gave her a simple, but sincere smile.

* * *

Tsukiko couldn't help but laugh when she noticed Haji was enjoying himself. He always looked so serious all the time. It was good to see that he could relax. Of course, with all the stories that went around, it was no wonder that he was unable to do so. Being hopelessly in love with a woman that wanted you to kill her one day couldn't be too cheerful of a task.

As her amusement died down, she found herself studying him. There wasn't much that she or her sister knew about Haji. Heck, Kai didn't feel like talking about him much whenever they had a question. The whole concept of having a Chevalier was foreign to her. She'd yet to meet the person that she would want to serve her for the rest of her life. Besides, if it resulted in situations like what her father and Haji had to deal with, she couldn't quite imagine anyone she'd wish that fate on.

Somehow, despite whatever risks and sacrifices he faced, she couldn't imagine Haji as anything other than a Chevalier. What she wouldn't give to have a loyal companion like that.

* * *

"Lulu!"

Saya raced to meet the young Sif survivor as she entered the room. The little girl pulled back her hood and met Saya in a warm embrace.

"Saya! It feels like it's been forever. But I know it's only been about thirty years…I think."

"Yes, just about," Saya said, holding the child at arm's length. "You look like you've been doing well. I hope it hasn't been too lonely for you."

"You don't need to worry about me, Saya-san. Lewis and I have been having some very interesting journey's together. Isn't that right, Lewis?"

"That ain't the half of it."

Saya looked up over Lulu's shoulder and saw the pleasantly plump black man pause in the doorway.

"Saya…I think you might look a little older now. You may be able to get alcohol without getting carded."

"You really think so?" Saya asked. "I have to admit, it did start to bother me just a little bit."

"The next time I'm in town, how about we try out that theory?" Lewis asked, walking inside and letting the door shut behind him.

"Lewis, I don't think I want you trying to get my little sister drunk," Kai said as he walked up to great his long-time friend.

"Oh, I won't get her wasted. Just enough to work up a nice buzz…"

The door splintered into thousands of places, shooting shards of wood into the room. Blood splattered Kai, a few smaller spots reaching Saya where she stood. Lewis had enough time to realize he had been stabbed clean through by a long claw. The claw retreated to where its owner stood beyond the door.

"So, the rumors are true. The Averse Queen has awaken. Perhaps now you are willing to take your rightful place as the leader of our kind."

The chiroptera stepped into the light, licking Lewis' blood off its claws.

"And I will have to assure that you have no one left to turn to but us, Queen Saya. You and the princesses will come with us tonight."

* * *

Hoshi took a moment to realize what was happening. Saya held out her hand to Haji, who whispered something to her and pushed her behind him. Tsukiko's eyes flashed red and she immediately charged the creature.

For the first time, Hoshi felt something akin to helplessness. She wished she could do something aside from watch as weapons were drawn and blood splattered aimlessly around her. Her hands fluttered at her side, and she wanted to do something. She wanted to fight.

A hand touched hers softly. She looked over to see Joel watching her.

"There is nothing wrong with the desire to fight, Hoshi. After all, it is in your blood."

Hoshi felt something brush against her arm and only realized it was Saya after hearing her war cry. She squeezed Joel's hand.

"I know, Joel-san. And I will pick up the sword and fight alongside my kin, one day. I will."

* * *

It felt so right. There was a distinct freedom in fighting without the burden of tomorrows or some ultimate evil to destroy. Sure, there were more of these creatures lurking around…and there was a slight possibility that there always would be.

Saya shook her head. There was time to think after this fight was over. But that moment of distraction allowed the chiropteran to grab her arm and yank her within his grasp.

"You are ourrrrr…"

The last sound of the word dragged out as it rode on the dying breath of the monster. Saya looked around, trying to determine who had dealt the final blow. Her feet touched the ground and the creature slumped and collapsed to the ground, revealing a young man standing in the doorway.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything too important," he said, a slight smile on his face. "Mother taught me never to ignore a damsel in distress."

He slung the gun he held over his shoulder, extending a hand to Saya. A pair of hazel eyes stared at her through blood splattered glasses.

"The name's Kei, and who might you be?"


	4. A New Kingdom

Kei placed his glasses back on his face, folding the blood-stained napkin and placing it back into the pocket in the front of his suit. Hoshi and Tsukiko helped the rest of the crew clean off most of the remains that decorated the floor of the restaurant. Kai had run Lewis to one of their special hospitals to deal with these kinds of "problems." Joel and David sat in front of him, the suitcase Kei had carried in setting between the two of them. Sure, this guy had finished off the chiropteran, but that didn't mean much. If anything, he was a little suspicious. The contents of his suitcase had revealed an assortment of weapons and vials, all proving to be key in the killing of these creatures. David looked over his shoulder at where Julia and Mikael stood.

"How did you get your hands on these materials?" Julia asked.

"My father worked for the Cinq Fléches Group during their experiments with the Sif. When he discovered the true purpose behind the research he did, he committed suicide and locked all his information away in our attic. I stumbled upon it one day and decided to continue the work, running into some problems here and there. The problem with studying chiropterans is that they like to study back, if you know what I mean."

"We'll do a background check and see how your story pans out," Joel said. "Although the truth of the matter is, regardless of your background, I'd like you to consider working with our organization."

"Red Shield, correct?" Kei responded, picking up his cup of tea.

"Yes, Red Shield. And I am Joel, the head of the organization."

"I'd figured as much. Which would make this enchanting warrior the Un-Proclaimed Queen Saya."

* * *

Saya cut herself on her sword at the sound of her name, her blood staining the scrap of fabric she'd picked up to clean her weapon with. She looked over at Kei where he sat, across the room.

"Why does everyone keep saying 'queen' this and 'queen' that?" she asked, placing her finger in her mouth, trying to conserve blood while waiting for the wound to close.

The silence that covered the room immediately made her uneasy. Red Shield was skilled at keeping secrets, and she would not put it past them to withhold something from her yet again. Her eyes panned the room as she struggled to read the faces before her.

"I will tell you, Saya," Haji said, moving to stand in front of her. "You deserve to know what has been whispered about you while you slept."

Joel nodded and the rest of the crowd relaxed slightly now that the burden of relating this particular bit of information shifted from them to Saya's Chevalier.

"The news of your slumber and Diva's defeat traveled fast through the chiropteran world. You, Hoshi and Tsukiko are the only known Queens, and the chiropterans are hungry for a claim on the world. They want to organize themselves into a functioning group. In order to do that, they are going to need a leader. They have already chosen you, Saya."

Her eyes flashed to the rest of the group, gauging their reactions. Hoshi and Tsukiko avoided eye contact completely.

"Me, a leader? A queen? That doesn't make any sense."

"It makes perfect sense," Hoshi answered, her eyes slowly making their way to Saya's face. "You are the oldest person who has the ability to create chiropterans, Chevaliers and new queens. Unlike Tsukiko and myself, you have already proven that you can stand the test of time and defend both yourself and those you love. You are the only possible choice to lead these new people."

"There you go, calling them people again," Tsukiko sighed, picking at her plate before stuffing some dumplings in her mouth. "I don't care what science has to say about it. They're just monsters, for most part. Present company excluded, of course."

"That reminds me," Saya said slowly. She needed to prepare herself mentally for the answer to the next question she was about to ask. "Julia-san, Kai said that chiropterans may not simply be monsters, but an evolutionary step in humanity. Is this true?"

"There does seem to be some evidence that supports that theory, Saya. I've been looking into that, letting Mikael continue studying the present evolution of chiropterans. I've been tracing the DNA of the chiropterans when I can get a hand on a sample, and it seems that their mitochondrial mother dates back to the same mitochondrial Eve that all humans share today."

"However, the problem with that fact is that it brings up the questions of why has it taken so long for the chiropterans to became a leading player in the biological makeup of the world today," Kei interjected as he looked from Julia to the rest of the people. "That is the question that I've been struggling to answer."

"They've been around, just in forms that we can't recognize," David said. "Chiropterans have been gods, emperors, warriors and undoubtedly behind the scenes. Take the Egyptian god Osiris. He was said to have died and then return to life by a ritual that Isis performed. It is easy to think that he was some chiropteran who suffered a fatal wound, disappeared to recover, and then returned."

"Or perhaps he was just in his 30 year hibernation period," Julia continued. "There are countless myths that can be explained if one replaces the legendary figure with a chiropteran. So unfortunately, there is no true telling how long they have been around…"

"Yet."

Mikael went over to the suitcase he'd brought in, opened it and pulled out a laptop. A few moments and several keystrokes later, he looked up.

"So far, the oldest chiropteran we've found has been almost a thousand years old. We've discovered that in the same way that mitochondria can be traced, this fifth component of DNA that makes chiropterans what they are can also be traced back from chiropteran to queen. Unfortunately, we have only found one other queen, and that one too recently found to complete tests on her. If we can somehow get our hands on enough chiropteran remains to create a family tree of sorts…"

"We can trace chiropterans back to the Chiropteran Eve, so to speak. And she has to be a descendent from our Mitochondrial Eve," Kei said.

Saya shook her head, trying desperately to follow everything that was being said. Science had never been her strong point, and she still wasn't too sure that it really mattered to her at the moment. All she should be concerned with at the moment was what she always concerned herself with in matters dealing with chiropterans. Fighting. Which it seemed that she was destined to continue doing even now that Diva was gone.

"Good news everyone."

Everyone looked up to see Kai walk through the door.

"Lewis has managed to escape death. The wound was almost fatal, but we got him to the hospital in time."

A sigh of relief filled the room. Lewis had been around too long for them to lose him in such a careless manner.

"Woah, what the hell happened here?"

Unfortunately, Kai was not the only one who had walked through the door. No one had noticed the group until they stood in the threshold, witnessing the damage done by the fight.

"We just came to get some grub and find the place demolished."

"And I was really hoping to try some of the dumplings here. I heard they're really good."

"I'm afraid we're closed to the public at the moment anyway," Kai told them.

One of the guys stepped forward, placing the drumsticks that were in his hands into his back pocket. He had deep, blood red hair that was short and spiked up with gel. Piercings ran along one ear, a single stud decorating the left one.

"How about we make a deal," the drummer said, "seeing as how my bandmates and  
I are so hungry. How about we come back tomorrow and fix up the place if you treat us to breakfast? I think we've got enough ramen to shut our stomachs up for the moment. That sound fair guys?"

The other four guys nodded. Despite the heavy metal look to the group, they gave off an aura of genuine pleasantness.

"Sure, why not," Kai said, smiling slightly. "That sounds like a fair trade indeed. I'll see you guys bright and early, about 6 o'clock or so. We should be able to get this place cleaned up in a couple of hours if we all work together."

"In that case, we'd better get to bed," Saya said, yawning. "I'm going to need some sleep if I have to be up that early."

"We should all head to bed," Tsukiko responded, tossing her dishes in the kitchen. "Heaven knows we ladies need our beauty sleep."

"Oh, you ladies don't need to worry about that one bit," the spokesman said. "You're all a little bit of heaven on earth, if you don't mind me saying."

Saya found herself blushing slightly. She took another look at the guy as he and Kai made last minutes decisions about the clean-up tomorrow. She had to admit, she'd never seen a pair of hazel eyes that looked so startlingly clear before.

* * *

Kei and David stood up, shaking hands and Julia-san handed Kei a slip of paper. Apparently some kind of agreement had been struck between Red Shield and this former Goldsmith employee. He bowed once to everyone before taking his leave, exiting some moments after the band members had taken off.

"Well," Kai said. "That wasn't quite the way I'd wanted to welcome Saya home…"

"But somehow, I don't think it should have happened any other way," Joel said, standing up and reaching for his cane, a small smirk on his face.

And just when everyone thought nothing else could happen, Haji burst into a soft, but very heartfelt chuckle, loud enough to hear over all the goodbyes that were being said.

* * *

Well, it hadn't gone as smoothly as he'd hoped, but at least he had his foot in the door. The family seemed to be on its guard, but he'd break through that in enough time. He had to admit, the queens were much more beautiful up close than they were from any perch he'd gazed at them from. However, he did have to say that his attention had centered on two of the three. It was hard to pass up the original queen, especially since she'd yet to give birth. She was a first choice simply because she was the eldest of the group. Her skills were more honed and she had the experience necessary to stand at his side as a queen of the chiropterans. Besides, the vast majority of the species already saw her as the rightful queen.

But there was a lot of promise in the fiery Tsukiko. The way she charged right into the battle showed her fearlessness and her desire to control and conquer a situation. She was also much more in tune with her chiropteran side than her sister, Hoshi. However, there was something abut Hoshi that he just couldn't put his finger on.

Truth be told, it was going to be a rather difficult decision to make. At least not without a little investigating first. He hoped the rest of his plans went as smoothly as this one did. Although there was that other guy…

Well, if he proved to be a problem, he could always have him taken care of. No matter how badass he seemed.

* * *

"It isn't much, I know, but we'll figure something out later on."

Kai opened the door to the room and revealed a small, hotel sized room. There was a desk with a chair, a few blankets in the corner and a full-sized bed. There were no decorations, and it was obvious that the room had been reserved for guests.

"Oh, it's fine," Saya replied. "We've dealt with worse in the past, haven't we, Haji?"

He'd returned to his stoic state after the party had officially ended. The cello case on his back found itself propped up against a corner and he picked up the pile of blankets that sat at the edge of Saya's bed and started to arrange them for her.

"Haji, I can handle that…"

"Well, I'd better get to bed. Unfortunately, I'm not as young as I was when…"

A soft silence filled the room. Saya glanced over at Kai, really noticing the lines in his face and the white hairs that streaked his once vibrant red hair. Time had treated him well enough, but it had taken it's price also. And she…she…

"I'll see you in the morning, Kai," Saya said, smiling brightly. "We can have scrambled eggs, right?"

Kai laughed a bit and the moment was gone.

"Of course, Saya. I'll have those band dudes grab some while they're collecting materials to fix the restaurant tomorrow. Oyasumi."

"Oyasumi," she repeated as the door closed and left her alone with Haji. By now, he'd finished making her bed and was situating himself on the floor, allowing himself a pillow for his back and a blanket in case it got too cold. It was almost October, and the weather was known to change rapidly this time of year. Saya glanced at her reflection in the mirror, wondering at her timelessness. There was so much of her life to remember, but she'd never bothered to care about how little she changed while the world turned ever so quickly around her. But now she had people to care about. People who cared abut her and saw her as more than a tool for a battle. She had a family, and for better or worse, that family was one that grew old while she would remain young… maybe for millennia.

"Please, don't look so sad, Saya."

Haji walked up behind her.

"I know it may not mean much in the end, but I will always be at your side. I will always be waiting for you when you slumber and there to welcome you back when you awake."

Somehow, for some reason, that simple promise that he'd uttered so many times before filled her with the comfort her soul needed. She turned around and looked up at him, only realizing that tears filled her eyes when she could barely see them.

"Do you promise me that, Haji? Do you promise to be by my side until the very end."

Her breath caught in her throat as Haji lifted his hands and took her face gently in to them, using his thumbs to wipe the falling drops from her cheeks. Saya closed her eyes, but felt him bring his face close to hers.

"Only death itself will keep me from fulfilling that promise to you, Saya. I am yours until beyond time, your Chevalier until the end of days."

When her eyes opened, she found herself looking at her reflection in the deep blue of Haji's eyes. She'd forgotten what color they were. It'd been such a long time since she'd looked at them. He let go of her slightly, and she felt that odd fluttering in her stomach again. Haji was starting to return to the man who did things for her simply because he desired to, not because of some blood bond he was under. Was that why he made those promises to her? Was it that he no longer had a choice? But then there was Solomon, who went against Diva's blood within him…

Saya shook her head softly, a small laugh on her lips. She was over-thinking the whole matter. Haji was Haji, and he would always be…

"I meant it when I said I love you Saya. Do you remember when I told you that?"

Her memory took her back to that moment when Kai and she fled the crumbling building with Diva's twins as Haji was pinned to the wall by Amschel. Those were the last words that Haji had spoken to her before she'd gone into her deep sleep. She finally came back to reality, her eyes shifting to somewhere other than his face. Still, she felt the soft pull of his hands, lifting her face towards his.

"I never wanted to admit to loving you, knowing that I'd have to kill you one day. But now, maybe, if you'll let me, I can truly love you. Not as a Chevalier, not as your servant. Not even as just a friend. But as a man, Saya. If you'll let me."


	5. Construction

Hoshi felt it tug at her heart

Hoshi felt it tug at her heart. She wasn't sure what it was… In her short time on this planet, living this life, with this blood, she'd never felt this peculiar sensation. Although she had no idea what was causing it, she was certain of one thing.

Whatever it was, it grated against the core of her being. Whatever it was, it was simply wrong.

A sigh escaped her lips, and she closed the book before her. Studying meant nothing when all was not well in her world. She got up, turned off the light, and slipped into bed, hoping the feeling would be gone in the morning.

* * *

Tsukiko giggled a little, feeling what Hoshi was feeling, yet responding to it in a completely different manner. She sat on the roof, reveling in the night air, the sensation playing with her heart strings. There was a certain marvel at the fact that she had no desire to investigate the source of it or take off trying to quell it. For once, Tsukiko was content to simply be.

She closed her eyes, sure in the knowledge that something wondrous was happening somewhere.

Her blood complained, but her will and his were stronger. Despite the wrongness, it felt as natural as breathing or smiling. His fingers, although so gentle on her face, barely brushing her skin, felt clearer than almost anything she'd ever experienced. But even that touch did not compare to his lips on hers.

* * *

Saya did not remember giving an answer. One moment, she was thinking about her battle with Diva, Haji's entrapment underneath the collapsing building. The next, her eyes were closed, her face tilted towards his, ready to receive his kiss.

She trembled and had no idea why. Was this love? Could she love? No man…or chiropteran had ever made her feel what she was feeling now. In her long life, had she ever witnessed romantic love?

Tears sprung to her eyes and she struggled to hold back a sob at the range of emotions she was feeling. Almost immediately, Haji pulled away.

"Saya…forgive me. I did not mean to cross any lines or hurt you. Are you ok?"

Her eyes fluttered open, her vision blurred slightly from the moistness on her eyelashes, but the look in Haji's eyes was still clear and more than she could handle. For the first time, in what felt like centuries, she saw raw and unbridled emotion within the deep blue-black depth of his eyes. She'd always felt the concern and love emanate from him, but seeing it so tangibly…

"Oh Haji!"

And with those words, Saya fell into his arms, crying and sobbing her heart out for reasons she could barely register herself. For her past, for her future, for his past, for his future…for all that they'd shared and for the sheer uncertainty of what the future would hold for them. She did not notice when he picked her up and sat down on the bed with her. Her tears kept flowing long after that, and once the tears stopped, she still trembled and shook with silent sobs.

Haji glanced at the window as Saya finally stilled into slumber. He knew that she had cried every tear she'd held back for the long painful existence she'd lived. Even if he hadn't felt it in his spirit, the fact that the dawn was now breaking had to mean something.

* * *

"Gah!"

Tsukiko ran a hand through her matted hair, more out of irritation and frustration than of a concern with its appeal to the men that labored away before her. She lifted a leg and scratched the back of the other one, letting out a yawn as she started to wake up completely. She'd blocked out the noise for as long as she could, but her sensitive hearing had made every strike of the hammer or slide of the saw sound like a bowling alley.

"Good morning, nee-san."

Hoshi smiled softly over her cup of tea and the book in front of her. She was perched in the only unoccupied corner of the room, staying out of the way of the construction and behaving as though it was just another day. Tsukiko smiled in spite of herself. Her sister was always so calm and collected, even in the worst of situations.

"Want to grab a bucket of paint and get to work?" Kai's voice said in her ear.

He had a brush and a bucket in his hand, heading to the area of the bar that had already been completed. She tilted her head and looked from Kai to Hoshi.

"She isn't working. Why do I have to?"

"I'm studying. I am in school, if you care to remember something about your big sister."

"Yeah, but you also didn't help out in the fight last night, if you care to remember something about _your_ big sister."

Hoshi glanced up at Tsukiko long enough to stick out her tongue. Tsukiko felt herself starting to get riled up when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Morning, Tsukiko," a soft voice said.

"Saya Oba-san!"

Tsukiko turned around, hugging her aunt, a sense of awe washing over her. The way she'd fought last night…it was so carnal, yet so graceful. To be honest, she'd felt a little inferior for the first time in her life when it came to fighting.

"You were so amazing last night. You'll have to teach me how to do that…and I want a sword just like yours. Who made it? Have you had it since you started fighting against them? I just have so many questions."

"Tsukiko, get over here and help me paint!"

Her mouth stopped moving and she knew she was pouting. Saya smiled gently at her, and there was laughter in her eyes.

"There will be more than enough time to show you all you need to know when it comes to fighting. Right now, let's get this place back to normal, ok?"

"Saya-sama…"

Their eyes went over to Hoshi, who seemed unnaturally shy. She closed her book, standing up from her seat, her eyes downcast before meeting Saya's.

"Will you teach me how to fight as well? I… I don't want to feel as though I'm dead weight if anything like that happens again."

"It will be 'when,' not 'if.' They'll be after us again. Of course I'll make sure you're ready."

"And you can all start by helping me paint!"

Kai's hearing, apparently, was still very much intact and working as well, if not better, than it ever did. With an exasperated sigh, Tsukiko all but snatched the paint and brush from her foster father, cracked open the top with the flick of a nail and got to work.

Saya's senses seemed almost hyper-sensitive today. Everything seemed enhanced, and she didn't know what to blame it on. Was it the fact that she'd had such a catharsis last night? Or perhaps the feelings she was only now starting to acknowledge within herself. Her eyes drifted to where Haji had taken post, helping…Kei, was it?...saw some planks of wood to fix the shelves behind the bar. Or maybe it was just a fact of her nature. After this hibernation period, maybe she was just… more.

"Saya, was it?"

She was jarred out of her thoughts by the haunting hazel eyes she'd met last night. The leader of the band. He had on a worn-out t-shirt, complete with holes and tears. The top was complimented by a pair of black knee-length shorts, long black socks and some worn once-white sneakers. His hair was a little matted from the sweat it'd collected during the morning.

"Yes. I don't believe I caught your name."

"Sho," he said, extending a paint-marked hand.

She shook it, offering a soft smile. There was something about him that was rather alluring. She wasn't sure just what it was at the moment. It mattered not…

"I just hope your old man's food is as good as they say," he chuckled, popping open a can of sealant to cover the wood.

Saya almost opened her mouth to say that Kai was her brother, but quickly shut it. To the common eye, she looked to be the same age as Hoshi and Tsukiko. To the average person, Kai was old enough to be the father of all three of them.

"It is. He's the best chef around now that his father is gone," she said softly, remembering the death she'd given him.

"Sorry to hear that. Losing grand parents can be hard if you're close to them. I take it you were."

"Very much so."

She heard the paint from the brush she held drop on the ground and yanked it up, shaking her head a bit to try and let go of those memories, at least for now.

"But the sooner we finish this," she said, "the sooner we can eat."

Saya hoped the smile she gave didn't seem too false.

* * *

Haji glanced up at Saya, watching her closely. It was hard to tell what she was feeling, if she even cared to remember what had happened last night.

"You're her Chevalier, correct?"

Letting his eyes drift into Kei's direction, he nodded. The man had on black slacks and his white collared shirt was still somehow clean. The sleeves were rolled up to just above his elbows, making it easier for him to work.

"I am."

"You'll have to excuse my curiosity. I've heard much about you, but don't really know a lot, if that makes any sense. I treat most things as old wives' tails until I can discern truth from fiction."

Finishing the plank he was cutting, Kei passed the length of wood on to Haji, who quickly sanded and polished the wood, setting it on the pile of pieces he'd already completed. He'd always been a man of few words, and he didn't much intend to change that now. Especially for this man who could be friend or foe.

"Are you two romantically involved?"

"Excuse me?" Haji said, unable to hold back his tongue for once.

"I'm sorry. It's just…I saw the look you were giving her. There was a certain tenderness to it that most chiropteran don't show each other."

"You should know that this branch of the species is not typical by any definition of the word. Don't try to apply what you know to us."

Haji watched Kei open his mouth then shut it, thinking it best to keep his ideas to himself for the time being. Perhaps now he could work in peace…

"Kai sent me over here to start piecing together some shelves or something."

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Tsukiko standing near the stack of finished wood, paint splatters in her hair and a line of blue going down her cheek.

"Umm…" Haji started to say.

"Not a word, Haji. Not a word."

And with that, she dropped the tool box in her hand with a big clang and plopped herself down on the ground ungracefully, ignoring the snickers from the band members she'd just left.

* * *

She didn't care how cute he was. Five against one was unfair, especially since she couldn't use her abilities to make them all taste paint for the next month.

Tsukiko sat on the ground, the cordless drill in her hand as she placed braces under the shelves, screwing them in to provide extra protection against the weight of Kai's various cooking utensils and pots and pans.

"Here."

She lifted her eyes up to Haji, who stood with the next board in her hand. He could slow down a bit. That guy who'd blasted the chiropteran away was here as well. He eyed her through his glasses, his eyes appearing a shade of olive green in the brightening light of the day. He smiled softly, and she felt herself blushing, growing upset with herself. She wasn't some giggly youth to fall for every pretty pair of hazel eyes that came here way. Now, if it was Haji...

The drill made that odd grinding noise it always did as the screw went in as far as it could go. She spared another glance at her aunt's Chevalier. The concept was still so foreign to her. What exactly did he mean to Saya? Was she just a servant, bound to her by blood? Or was there something more beneath the connection. He was just now beginning to break a sweat as he worked away at the wood, making sure that there would be no splinters to catch in fingers or end up in some unsuspecting person's plate of food. Tsukiko found it hard to imagine that this man was the one who left a beautiful blue rose at Saya's hibernation chamber ever year until she'd awakened. He seemed so hard, so cold.

Then she saw his blue eyes glance in Saya's direction and saw, if only for an instant that anyone else would have missed, his face light up. Tsukiko bit her lip from gasping at the sudden transformation. It was at that moment she realized that he loved her.

And at that moment, she was impossibly confused as to why that made her stomach sink.

* * *

Saya found a certain comfort in the simple act of painting the new counter. It was so mundane, but perhaps it was that simplicity that was balm to her spirit. There was a part of her, in the depths of her heart, that wanted to spin back the hands of time to the days she'd spent with her father, Kai and Riku. Or even back to the days when she was a selfish brat, enjoying the luxury of Joel's estate with Haji...

She looked over to where he worked. When he lifted his eyes to meet hers, she knew he'd done it in reaction to her own glance.

What the hell had happened last night? Saya refocused her attention on the countertop, dipping her brush into the paint once more.

"Did you always enjoy fighting?"

The question caught her off guard, and she gasped in embarrassment as she almost knocked the paint can over, Hoshi managing to catch it before it fell with her foot, gently nudging it upright. Saya smiled gratefully at her, recognizing her as the source of the question.

"As odd as it may seem, no."

The paintbrush hit the wood with a gently splat, Saya softly stroking the wood with the bristles.

"Not in either of my lives, before or after the amnesia. I was a spoiled brat when Joel raised me, and fighting to kill never entered my mind until Diva killed him. And it took me a long time from when George took care of me to rediscover my fighting spirit. I knew I had to, but I didn't have the will to do so until he died...maybe even after that."

She gave Hoshi a lukewarm smile.

"I much rather enjoyed being a simple student with the only worry on my mind being what I was going to have for lunch."

"So it's possible for me to learn, and to be good at fighting as well?" Hoshi asked, her eyes brightening a little.

"Trust me...it's in your blood."

* * *

After several hours and the very impatient thirty minutes it took Kai to cook the food, everyone sat down in the newly renovated restaurant. Soft small talk filled the air, interrupted by the chiming of ceramic bowls as they knocked against each other.

He couldn't deny that it was nice, enjoying everyone's company like this. These humans were infinitely different than the ones that he'd grown up knowing. A soft shiver ran through him, and he hoped no one would see. Those were memories he'd wanted to throw away along with the shackles he'd managed to unlock. Still, he had a feeling that those memories would haunt him long after every human he sat with passed on. The scars around his ankles may never fully heal. He'd worn those shackles for as long as he could remember; they probably placed them on him when he started walking. The thought of being a scarred chiropteran would have been disheartening if it wasn't so ironic. He was a unique creation, so it was only fitting that he had distinguishing marks.

Resisting the urge to scratch them, he tuned out the sensation and tried to be as sociable as he dared.

Besides the manual labor, it'd been a very productive morning. He'd learned two things. First, that the other male was going to be quite the problem and would need to be dealt with. And second, the Chevalier would have to be eliminated.


	6. Training and Trust

_Forgive me for the relative shortness of this chapter. I recently got married and am now juggling marriage and law school, along with usual day-to-day activities. I'll churn out chapters as soon as I can, working to keep towards my one chapter a month goal. It may only be one story I manage to get to, but I'll work towards it all the same! Enjoy and please review!_

* * *

Saya felt the sunlight on her skin, filtering in through the thin sheet that she used as a curtain. She also felt Haji's gaze on her and wondered how long he'd been up. A better question would be if he'd even bothered to sleep. With a certain feeling of guilt, she realized she'd never really given him a response to his feelings for her. Knowing Haji, though...well, he wouldn't really care. That was Haji's nature, after all. But that fact also made it that much worse...

She sat up, stretching before she allowed herself to look over at Haji. He deserved some sort of answer, even if it was really no answer at all.

"Haji..."

Almost on cue, the door flew in, Tsukiko standing in front of it on one foot, the other held in the air from when she'd kicked the door in.

"Saya-sama! Wake up! We've gotta whip Hoshi into shape!"

She hoped that Haji could see the apology in her eyes. It seemed that now just was not the time.

* * *

Hoshi looked at the van with a certain feeling of trepidation. This would be breaking new ground for her, and she's always been something of a perfectionist. The thought of things not going as she wanted or had planned made her skin tighten, and she shivered once before calming her nerves. Kai tightened the last bit of luggage onto the top of it, stopping for a moment to tell something to the young couple that would be in charge of the restaurant while they were away. They knew the drill, since Kai often took off for one reason or another. Most of the time it was Red Shield related.

"What am I getting myself into," she asked herself, the words leaving her lips as more of a sigh than a statement.

"It won't be as bad as you think," Saya said, tossing the sword she'd used a few nights ago to Kai, who tossed it into the trunk of the car. "Your instincts do most of the fighting for you. It's just a matter of honing those instincts a little more."

The smile Saya gave her eased the worst of her nerves. The best of them, however, still bugged as everyone but Haji piled into the rental van, and Kai took off for their training location.

* * *

Hoshi stood in front of the wooden dummy, feeling Saya circle around her. Her eyes were closed, and she felt her breathing slow down, beat by beat, until she could hear the air moving around her and the blades of grass straightening themselves. Saya was surprised at how quickly Hoshi was learning everything. However, a willing spirit was always key to becoming a better warrior. And boy, did she have the spirit.

Drills with the wooden dummy alone had become meaningless before lunchtime. So, after a brief break, while the rest of the group nibbled on rice balls, tempura and sushi, Saya sought to push Hoshi to her breaking point. How far did she have to go before Hoshi hit a wall that needed climbing over rather than barreling through?

Saya lifted the staff she'd decided to use, and in mid step, changed her direction, charging Hoshi from behind her, at an angle in hopes to catch her off guard. Hoshi was to block attacks from Saya while still maintaining the routine that they'd drilled on since morning.

Strike at the left thigh, bring the staff straight up into the dummy's armpit, spin around and strike the right side of the neck, pull back and deliver a double thrust at the stomach and chest, throw down the staff on the right foot and finish off with the staff between the legs.

After easily dodging Saya's attack, then knocking it aside before delivering the first strike to the dummy, Saya realized that she'd have to step up her game.

* * *

Tsukiko looked up, feeling the change before she saw it, the tail of a tempura sticking out of her mouth. Saya's eyes were blood red, and Tsukiko actually shivered at the ferocity that she felt. Saya's attack speed doubled...tripled...her eyes struggled to keep up with the thrusts, sweeps and strikes as Saya directed them at Hoshi.

In Hoshi's defense, she put up a good struggle. However, the game was over after Hoshi lost track of her routine. Two strikes at the dummy's neck.

She wondered how long she would last against Saya. The truth of the matter was the thought of sparring with her aunt was almost orgasmic.

Hoshi took a deep breath, growing frustrated at her inability to take off the blindfold with one hand which trembled from exhaustion, mental and physical. She almost swatted away the hand that came up to aid her.

"I'm impressed," came the words of praise.

Saya held the blindfold in her hands as she came around to face Hoshi. A hand extended to take the staff from her, which Hoshi gave up happily. Her body was starting to reach its limits, it seemed.

"Thank you," she said between breaths.

The two headed over to the blanket where everyone else was seated, a basket set aside with food for the two of them. Mostly for Saya. However, before they reached the blanket, Kai stood up, a sword in his hand. Without a word, he tossed it towards them. Shifting the staves to one hand, Saya caught the blade, stopping in her tracks. Passing the staves to Haji, she gently, looked over the blade, pausing to run her thumb over the bright crystal that glinted like the blood it was.

"Father," she murmured to herself.

With a slow, fluid motion, she unsheathed the uniquely shaped sword. It started straight before curving sharply, taking on the appearance of a scythe for a moment. However, from that point on, the blade flowed straight and true. That small point, which was always kept sharper than the rest of the blade itself, was as long as her thumb, existing so she could pierce the digit and let the blood flow from it. Her blood, which was poison to all creatures that were spawned from the blood of her sister. Saya looked over at Kai, putting the sword back in its sheath.

"Thank you."

He nodded, a soft smile on his face. They both knew how much the blade meant to their family. What kind of brother would he had been if he hadn't kept it safe for all these years.

* * *

"Can you...umm...how did you and Haji meet?"

The question completely caught Saya off guard, so much so that the piece of fish in her chopsticks didn't make it to her mouth. Still, habit won over and she popped the food in her mouth and swallowed it before she attempted to answer. Even so, Tsukiko, ever blunt as usual, continued her questions.

"I mean...is there a special way to choose one's chevalier?"

"Tsukiko!" Hoshi said, wincing even as she continued to scowl at her sister. Kai had her hand in his, using some balm and bandages to keep her sensitive palms from becoming too calloused after the day's sparring session.

"No...it's ok. I should probably put any fanciful ideas to rest about the whole chevalier thing anyway."

Placing down her chopsticks, Saya glanced over at Haji, who sat a ways away, tuning his cello. Reaching deep into her thoughts and memories, she pulled out the relevant ones that she felt needed to be passed to her nieces.

"Yes, a chevalier is bound by blood and compelled to be loyal to the blood that is given to him. I'm not sure if any female chevaliers exist, but that is a moot point at the moment. I'm sure there was a much better way to choose a chevalier than the ways that I did. When I made Haji my chevalier, it was out of ignorance and necessity, with no knowledge whatsoever of who I was and what he would become. Haji had been brought to be my playmate, and the man who raise me, Joel, hoped that one day we would also...well..."

Saya started blushing and wondered just how ridiculous she looked before going on.

"At any rate, I'd sent Haji to get a flower for Joel's birthday. The flower was high on a cliff, but he went for it all the same. However, he fell and cracked his head. I rushed down to help him, but when I saw that he was losing so much blood, I decided that I had to help him somehow. Joel had given me blood transfusions to keep the anemia from overpowering me...I'm sure you two receive them as well. So I decided to give Haji my blood in hopes to keep him alive the way that Joel gave me blood..."

"You didn't," Tsukiko said, her eyes wide.

"I did, and so I created my first chevalier."

"Then there was another," Hoshi asked, picking up on the wording.

"My...our brother. Your father. He was also my chevalier. But he'd just been turned...he couldn't defend himself..."

"The thing about chevaliers and queens is that they need each other to reproduce," Haji interrupted, taking his place near Saya. "A queen can only give birth by the chevalier of her twin."

"And we've discovered that a chevalier, once turned, can only reproduce with a queen."

The voice came from behind them all, and Kai was not the least surprised to see Joel, a black, slender cane in his hand, making his way towards them.

"So, this was all planned?" Saya asked, looking from Kai to Joel with a certain amount of indignation.

"No, Saya...not really, anyway," Kai started. The location they'd chosen, a remote camp ground that had been closed for the winter months, turned out to be private property of none other than Red Shield through the Goldschmidt Foundation for the Environment. Yet one of several aliases the underground organization had in order to produce a public front.

"However, the truth of the matter is that I'd anticipated all of this happening, and when Kai told me that you were going to train, I figured that now would be as good a time as any to break the news to you all. This information is known only to a select few, the oldest and most loyal of our members."

"Julia-san and David-san know then?" Saya asked.

"They were the ones that told me," the man laughed harshly. "Some time last year, about this time, Red Shield raided an artificial chiropteran manufacturing company. The fools thought to harness all of the creature's power and none of its savagery. Surprise, surprise, though...they failed. The creatures were almost worth our pity at that point. They'd been kept in cages and the researchers used them for experiments, hoping to find some way to reverse the effects of the drug they'd created. When we finally got on the scene, however, most of the chiropterans had been freed or broken free...we're still not sure which it was. All of the scientists and workers were dead.

"So, we took their files, their computers, their logs, and whatever other data we could get our hands on. Quite a bit of it was encrypted, which wasn't the real problem. It was the damaged data that we've been laboring over for so long, and what worried us the most was that it seemed very selective. There was no hard data about this particular experiment, but there was evidence of it once existing. The only files intentionally damaged were those referring to Adam III."

"Adam III?" Tsukiko asked.

"A third Adam," Hoshi said, musing aloud. "The first was the one kicked out of the Garden of Eden. The second usually refers to Jesus Christ. The figure or name of Adam is usually referenced when implying the beginning or ending of an era of mankind."

"I don't like the sound of that," her sister replied.

"Neither did we," Joel said. "But it seems that's exactly what the experiment was aimed at doing. Creating a new species of man, if you would. Finding the appropriate king to go with the existing queens.

"From what data we've salvaged, they pumped one promising test subject full of queen blood. We can only assume that they got it from Diva. She seemed to share that stuff rather freely. They were observing him, and from what we've found, there were no documented negative side effects. However, several days into observation is also when the crew and compound were destroyed and the test subjects were freed."

"So there's a male version of us running around out there?" Tsukiko said, her anger becoming more evident in her voice and body, her hands clenching into fists and her knuckles turning red from the pressure.

"And the timing is about right for when Kei says the first few rumors of some chiropteran kingdom emerged."

"Kei?" Hoshi asked.

"I'd take it as an insult that you didn't remember me, if I didn't know any better."

The group glanced over their shoulders and saw the figure of Kei, stoically cleaning his glasses as he stood next to the person who brought him there.

"David-san!" Saya said

"We didn't get much of a chance to catch up on things at the party, but we'll be spending quite a bit of time together in the coming weeks."

The man had gotten white around the edges, some small streaks of his dirty blond hair still remained in the midst of the tell-tale signs of aging. Other than that, he was the same old David. Her eyes drifted back towards Kei, glasses back on his face, briefcase in hand and gun strapped to his back. His dark brown hair took on a ruddy sheen under full sunlight, bringing out his light-colored eyes that much more. He noticed her gaze and bowed slightly in her direction. She turned away before a blush hit her cheeks, returning to what was left of her food.

"So, where to from here?" Kai asked.

"East," David said, smiling softly. "The factory was in the area known as Silicon Valley in California. Our plane tickets are already paid for and we fly out bright and early tomorrow."

"Are you ready to fight?" Joel asked. "All of you?"

The three queens nodded, some more quickly than others. Blood would be fighting together rather than against each other, for a change.

* * *

He looked out the window as they approached the airport, barely managing to control his breathing. There was something about airplanes that reminded him of the cell he'd been kept in for entirely too much of his mortal life. But that had changed once he'd moved beyond mortality...

Dragging his fingers along the case that rested in his lap, he shifted his focus to look at his own reflection in the window. The slight concern in his heart was reflected in his eyes, which had taken on a brown-green tint in the shaded area.

Was this path truly the way he should go? Would it change anything, when it was all said and done? Could these methods even possibly give him happiness?

Still, he didn't know what else to do. Hell, it was what he'd been created to do. For now, there was no other choice.

* * *

The guard nodded as he thanked Saya, giving her back the federally issued fake passport that David had given her that morning. It was hard to verify a fake passport when the same government that gave out the official ones also gave out fakes when it suited their needs. She resisted the urge to examine it again, placing it into her small hand purse. Her gaze grazed the front of her outfit, a simple t-shirt, a warm, fleece jacket with a zipper and some jeans. Her age, for the time being, was eighteen - old enough to be considered legal in America, but young enough to actually look the age on the document. Hoshi and Tsukiko's IDs reflected that they were sixteen and had the same birthday. David had noticed that, upon a close inspection, Saya did look slightly older than the twins, so the call was made to make her a little older than making the three triplets. Tsukiko had been rather disappointed, having been the one to look the most forward to acting as though Saya was her sister, even if it was only for a short period of time.

She picked up her carry-on bag, looking back at the rest of their entourage as they came through the security checkpoint. Haji had been behind her, and she watched as the guard looked suspiciously at the hand that he always kept neatly bandaged. Words were exchanged, and whatever excuse Haji gave was good enough to put the guard's mind at east. She saw how it could easily be assumed to just be a nasty burn or something like that. And since he was in his usual suit, appearing more the butler than not...

"Fancy meeting you here. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking us."

Her attention got pulled back towards the terminals, and she blinked upon seeing that the voice addressing her was none other than the brash leader of the band that had helped rebuild Kai's restaurant.

"Sho, wasn't it?" she asked as she took a few steps in his direction.

"I'm flattered you remember me, Saya," he answered, smiling.

It wasn't until she felt the heat rise in her cheeks that she realized she was blushing. His smile was so genuine and warm, it through her a little off guard. Had she so grown to mistrust people, or was it just her long slumber that left her feeling so out of place in this world? Her thoughts raged in her, wanting answers to these questions that only seemed to grow with time. She saw a look of concern cross Sho's face and she took a slight breath, smiling.

"After all the work you did to help restore our restaurant, how could I not?"

"Oh, it was well worth the meal. I see your whole fam is here. Headed to the states?"

"Uh huh. A long overdue family vacation."

"We've got a gig in California," he said, holding up his guitar case. "Where are you headed?"

"California as well," she said, wondering at the coincidence.

Sho fished in his pockets and pulled out an envelope, looking over the group of people gathering behind Saya. His eyes drifted from person to person, and he finally opened up the envelope and counted out seven tickets, handing them to Saya.

"I'd love to have you ladies hear us. Drop by if you can."

With that, he blew her a kiss and turned around, jogging lightly down the hall, making a rather amusing image with one hand on his back pocket to keep the drumsticks there from falling out and the other holding the guitar case.

"I don't like him."

Saya turned towards the voice, seeing Haji finally at her side.

"Are you jealous?" Tsukiko asked, a laugh buried in the words.

To Saya's complete shock, a slight rose color hit his cheeks. Haji, jealous? She was so used to seeing him as his usual stoic self that the thought that he could even be jealous was a foreign notion to her. Was he? She looked up at him, wondering if he would answer. To his credit, he looked her in the eyes as he'd always done.

"What I feel is of no consequence. I speak only out of concern for Saya's feelings and safety. Something about him does not seem...right. That's all I can say until I discover more. I feel the same way about Kei. Both show up out of nowhere and manage to become a part of our existence. I don't like it at all."

He did have a point. Both men had been consistently present since she'd awoken. Few people simply butted themselves into her life like that without reason...

Two men, one with more than his fair share of knowledge about chiropterans and the other seemingly infatuated with her and her nieces. She looked up at Haji, a single thought crossing her mind, wondering if he'd considered the obvious explanation.

One of them had to be the subject of the Adam III project. But which?


	7. Declarations

Hoshi rested her hand against the side of the plane, watching the lights go by. She could make out the faint outlines of cars now that they had begun their decent. Nighttime had always been the most beautiful to her, and she was unsure whether it was her name, her personality or her Chiropteran nature that made it so. The wisps of low-hanging clouds rushed past the window as she peered out, taking in both the sights and the deep chill that the sub-zero temperatures of the atmosphere brought to the window.

Tsukiko lay asleep next to her, in her hand one of the tickets that Sho had given to Saya before taking off on his private plane. Out of them all, she'd been the one that was most excited at the prospect of going to a live rock concert. They had never really done anything like that before, but she suspected it was more because they had never asked. There seemed to be this unspoken assumption amongst their family that they could not do normal things since they were not normal. However, that was certainly not true.

Hoshi placed a hand on the glass before she had to snatch it away. The chill of the thick glass was too much for her sensitive skin to take, and she looked down at her hand, noting the dark tinge of skin cells that might have died if they were not so quickly replaced. Gradually, her skin grew rosy again to let her know that the danger had passed. She tilted her head, letting her long hair fall over her shoulder, letting her thoughts delve even deeper.

Both she and her sister had grown up hearing of these missions of Red Shield that both Kai and Saya had gone on, defeating the murderous chiroptera and defending mankind. Now, here she was, on a plane that would soon land in San Francisco, accompanying her aunt and uncle on such a quest herself.

"Normal..." she murmured to herself, feeling the words slip from her lips.

Really...what did that even mean?

* * *

Saya blushed slightly at Tsukiko's bright-eyed glance, the excitement the young Queen felt shining as brightly as her eyes. Kai was not bothered in the least, since they were posing as tourists anyway. Certainly made it all more authentic. But did she really have to go so far...?

A map in her hands, and already a backpack full of random odds and ends, Tsukiko was enthralled with everything. The hills of this city were so different from the mountains she'd explored with Kai or delved into on her own.

"We have to go to the zoo before we leave," she said, glancing over her shoulder at everyone, catching Saya's eye and causing her to shake her head softly.

"Remember what we're here for," she said softly, the words barely beyond a whisper, but the sound more than enough to reach her ears.

Tsukiko waved a hand at her and the rest of them dismissively, although not before Saya caught the light in her eyes dim slightly. No, her little niece would certainly not forget. Her eyes drifted to the left of her, Haji there at her side and without his cello case for once. Somehow, Kai had managed to talk him into changing into something a little less formal, so he'd donned a simple black collared shirt and a pair of jeans. It was so odd seeing him in anything but his traditional formal attire. But still...

As he turned his eyes towards her, she spun her head in the other direction, all too aware of the heat that rose to her cheeks. No matter how she tried, Saya constantly found herself recalling the feeling of his hands on her face, his lips on hers...

And she'd still not said a word about it. Bless his heart, neither had he.

Despite having just chastised Tsukiko for thinking of anything but the mission at had, Saya let herself take advantage of the moment. Very slightly, she slowed her pace down, letting David-san and Kai walk past her as they talked about preparations that still needed to be made and supplies that they had to get. Transportation had to be secured, weapons stocked, the location scouted...

They didn't notice when they passed her, so caught up in their own discussion that they didn't pay her or Haji any mind. It didn't surprise her that Haji slowed down his pace to match her, and it was exactly as she'd hoped. In a quick motion, holding her breath slightly at the bold move she made, Saya slipped her fingers into Haji's bandaged hand, feeling the tough, Chiropteran skin through the bandages that were more for show than for legitimate concealment. Her eyes straight forward, grateful that everyone else was ahead of them as she felt the blush on her cheeks deepen. Not a word was said between them, but she could not explain the relief she felt as Haji's fingers firmly clasp her own.

Well...it was a start.

* * *

He was just staring at her. So, she stared back. She didn't quite like the look in his eyes. Behind those glasses, it felt like he was examining her rather than seeing who she really was. When Kei took out a small notebook and pencil, it was all Tsukiko could do to keep herself from ripping his head from his shoulders rather than the book from his hands. He stared up at her, the faintest of flushes covering his cheek as he reached up from where he sat to grasp at the notebook that was not prisoner within her fingers.

"What the hell?" she said, a hand on her hips as she cocked them to the side, glaring at him as she held the book out of his reach. "I am not just some thing to be studied you know!"

"Ah, yes," he stammered, pushing his glasses further up his nose as he finally stood up from the chair at the table in his hotel room. Seeing him try to sneak the book from her hand, she held it behind her back.

"Do I even want to know what's in here? Probably something absolutely dehumanizing..."

She turned her back on him, flipping open the book and only managing a glimpse before he reached over her shoulder and reclaimed it.

What she'd snatched from him was, in fact, a sketchbook. Although it was just a glimpse, Tsukiko was certain she'd seen a picture of her...and from the dark shading and ripped clothing, her guess would be it was a sketch from her the night they'd first informally met.

Turning back to face him, he refused to meet her face, the flush in his cheeks only increasing when he realized that she was now looking to him.

Her lips parted, but she couldn't find words to speak. He had quite a talent, and she'd just blown up at him....

"Sorry," she finally let out, running a hand through her dark brown tresses.

"I....It's fine. I can see how that didn't appear to be the best of intentions on my part. I owe you an apology as well."

He finally turned his eyes towards her, meeting them full on. They were pretty, his eyes, and she smiled softly at him as she quickly forgot her original irritation.

"Who would've thought the scientist was an artist as well, huh?"

Backing up to the table, she placed her hands behind her, lifting herself up onto the sturdy surface, more than enough to hold her lithe frame despite the power it held.

"Well, I was brought up to have multiple interests, you could say," he said softly, tucking the book away, the moment of inspiration apparently gone. "I love the beauty of science and the science in beauty. I was just fortunate to have a gift in both areas."

Tsukiko leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her thighs and her face in the palms of her upturned hands. "Beauty of science? Never heard it quite put that way. Of course, I was never a science kind of person. That'd be Hoshi's area of expertise. Well, that and pretty much any other school-related subject."

He sat down in a chair, turning it so that he could see both her and the entrance to the other half of the suite room he and Haji would share with David and Kai. At that moment, the door opened, Saya and Haji walking through it. Tsukiko smiled at her aunt, waving before she saw the slight jerking motion between them. She felt her eyebrow go up as her curiosity was piqued. What had all that been about? As Saya brought a hand to her chest, the other one rubbing it protectively, Tsukiko glanced back and forth between the two of them.

So, they weren't lovers. That much was obvious from the awkward way they seemed to move about each other. There was obviously some sort of attraction there, though...

As she glanced over the older Queen and her Chevalier, David and Kai came out from their room, joining them.

"Are we all ready to head out?" David asked, securing the duffel bag he had over his shoulder.

"Hoshi is waiting for us downstairs," Saya replied softly, pulling her coat more securely around her. While the night seemed as though it would be a mild one, they certainly didn't need to feel every temperature change or every gust of wind as it blew by. They both...well, all three needed to focus. How much help Hoshi would be was another question entirely.

Tsukiko hopped down from the table, following the rest of them out of the room and keeping pace with Kei. Her eyes drifted to Saya and Haji as they lead the way, his place where it always seemed to be: just behind her on her left side. What must it be like....

"Will you make a Chevalier someday?"

The question rang as oddly personal, almost taboo the way that he said it, avoiding her eyes when she spared him a glance.

"Who knows," she replied. "I've yet to meet the person I would want to spend my eternity with. But I'm still young. Besides, I want my Chevalier to want to be my Chevalier, you know? I can't imagine..."

She let her words drift off, knowing how both of Saya's Chevaliers had been both, neither one consenting or aware of the change that would overtake their bodies. Her choice had cost one of them...her father's life.

No, she would be infinitely more responsible with her blood. At least, she could hope to do so...

* * *

As they approached her, Hoshi knew they had been the source of her discomfort those many nights ago. The intimacy between them...it was not meant to be. She coughed, covering her nose to hide the slight wrinkle she felt forming on her brow. It certainly was not her place to judge, and all other things being equal, Saya and Haji may have well made the perfect couple.

But she was, in one sense, his Blood mother. There was a relationship of servant and master. Could true intimacy grow from such a union? Not to mention the fact that they could never have any children...

Her eyes drifted over to her sister, the splitting image of Saya in all her coloring. That man...Kei...was with her. Tsukiko, for all her fire, seemed to have been easily tamed by him. She, however, could not forget Haji's words at the airport. This meeting had to have been more than sheer coincidence. Her sister was more dear to her than life itself, but her impulsive nature may get the better of her this time if Kei was in fact Adam III. Nothing but time and careful observation would reveal his true motives.

Still...he was rather cute.

"Hoshi."

Saya held out a sword to her as David closed his duffel bag. Hoshi wrapped her fingers around it, adjusting to the weight of it in her arms. It was heavier than the staff she'd practiced with, so she's have to compensate for it. Still, she wouldn't be completely useless. A quick glance around the empty hallway and she pulled the sword from its sheath for a moment, noting that it was designed just like Saya's. All it missed was the crystallized blood, but Hoshi smirked slightly at the thought that she could do without such a decoration.

"Thank you," she said softly, pushing the sword back into its sheath and using the strap that hung from it to place it over her back.

"True thanks will come from being able to properly wield it," Haji said nonchalantly.

She flashed her blue eyes at him, uncertain as to how to take the comment. Choosing to merely nod her head, she fell in step with them as they headed to the parking garage, on their way to get this first leg of their mission out of the way.

* * *

With a sick twisted sense of amusement, he realized it was like going home. He stood at the crest of the hill leading down into the small valley where the remains of the factory were. What he'd chosen to remain. It had been very slow and very deliberate, but this plan had to be executed flawlessly. He'd known that when he left for Japan to encounter the Queens. And the poor peon that he'd sent to create a way for him to spend some time with them... A soft smile curled his lips as he recalled helping them to rebuild Kai's restaurant.

Soon, they would be rebuilding the Chiropteran race. They had lost one queen, but gained two in her place. And it was the backs of these three that carried his hopes.

He spared a glance up at the hill where he knew that the four women who had begged for his blood waited. They had been patient and waited for him, like the good little Dames that they were. One for each of the queens and the last for the Chevalier.

And he....well, he would just watch and see how the Queens handled themselves.

He gave a sparing glance to the women who would give their lives for the sake of the farce that he had to upkeep.

Ah well.

* * *

The charred remains of the building resembled skeletons too much for her taste. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, pushing out of her mind the fire she'd almost not escaped and all the events that had occurred.

"Riku," she murmured just under her breath, a soft wind blowing the word away as quickly as it had been issued.

Kneeling down, she picked up a piece of metal, the glint from it catching her eye in the waxing moonlight. A piece of chain. Her fingers traced the rugged edges as her eyes took in the sight around them.

"Chiropteran or not, no one deserves to live in chains," she told no one in particular, standing up and seeing any number of reflections catch her eyes, all undoubtedly remnants of the chains used to enslave the objects of experiments.

"Seems that someone was of a mind enough to try and destroy the evidence," David said, kicking over a loose bit of ash. "Couldn't have been more than a week or so ago..."

"Do you think our arrival was anticipated?" Kai asked.

"I wouldn't put anything past our enemies," David replied, looking back over his shoulder and glancing at the small group that he'd brought to the middle of nowhere. Taking the duffel bag off his shoulder, he tossed it over to Kei, catching the young man off his guard. He stumbled for a moment, the weight of the bag tilting his balance just enough so he had to jerk the other direction, forcing his glasses off center. Tsukiko giggled softly, the sound ringing oddly in the middle of the barren landscape.

Saya reached over her back, tensing up slightly even before she drew her sword through the special jacket made just for that purpose. Her body reacted to what her nose and blood confirmed but moments later.

"We have company," came the soft whisper past her flushed lips, the warmth in her veins both giving her strength and pointing her in the direction of the nearest Chiropteran. While she had learned to distinguish the feel of Diva and her spawn, this new presence caught her completely off guard. It was...alluring...

Haji moved to intercept the block of charred stone that roared through the night, pushing air out of its way as it carved a path towards Saya. The bandages on his hand, damaged from the force of the throw, crumpled slowly to the ground, revealing his shame and pride.

Saya's gaze aligned itself with his, the two standing together to face the figures that stood in the distance. She wondered what David, Kai and Kei saw. To her eyes, lit up with the eerie glow that came upon all their kind when their inhuman blood became active, she saw the forms of the four women clearly.

"I believe that we're being played," Hoshi murmured softly, coming up behind her and drawing her own sword. The slightest tremble in her voice alerted Saya to the tinge of fear that laced her niece's words.

"Don't let them lure you away from the rest of us," she told her, not sparing a glance for fear of being taken off guard again. "I have no idea how skilled these fighters are, and I will not lose you in this battle. Not so soon..."

She could not let any more of her loved ones fall because of her lack of strength. A soft exhale left her lungs as the first of the women sprinted towards her. The other three moved a moment after, a certain unity to their movements. Gunshots went off, strategically placed to slow and divert since the bullets would do little more than offer a moment of irritation to these Chiropteran who were both comfortable with and obviously in control of their nature. Still, in these fights, a second....a breath....could make all the difference.

Saya raised her sword to deflect the claws that slashed down at her, leaping back to avoid the claws that slashed at her stomach while Haji slashed his own clawed hand at the woman. A glimpse told her she might have been pretty but for the way the blood that poured in her veins distorted her features. But she couldn't be distracted by the glint of auburn locks in the moonlight.

If it was war this self-proclaimed King wanted, then he would have war.


	8. Licking Her Wounds

Tsukiko felt the vibrations in the air, her eyes glowing blood-red in the night as she tensed for battle, watching the Chiropteran woman race across the ground towards her. For her, it was just another hunt...although it seemed this one would prove a bit of a challenge. The light of the moon was more than enough, and she stood her ground, waiting for the woman to come closer. A sharp change in directions forced her to adjust her stance, Tsukiko's eyes moving with the woman as she darted to Tsukiko's left, leaping at an odd angle. Bones creaked audibly in the night air as the woman's hands shifted into claws, the deadly daggers coming down on Tsukiko as she stared up at her opponent.

A gun fired, the bullet hitting the woman, and Tsukiko was not surprised when the wound and pain was ignored. It was the explosion, causing chunks of the woman's thigh to fly into the air, that startled the young Queen enough that she was caught off guard. Neither David nor Kai used weapons like that. The shooter must've been Kei. She barely managed to refocus her attention on the Chiropteran, claws still glinting in the moonlight despite the snarl of pain on her face.

Tsukiko side-stepped, grabbing the fragile area where human skeleton met Chiropteran transformation, using her strength to snap the bones in a sharp movement, following it up with a kick at the wound that still bled freely. She had never been beyond playing dirty with these creatures, and would use any weakness to her advantage. Another shot sounded, the back of the woman's head exploding, and Tsukiko flipped back out of the way, anticipating the explosion this time. She hadn't quite made it far enough, and grimaced at the matter that splattered her shirt. What was she going to use to wipe her face off with now...

* * *

Hoshi tried to brace herself for the impact, and only barely managed to stay upright. A pair of pretty brown eyes stared back at her, the glow as much from the blood coursing through her veins as it was the moonlight. Sparks formed as the claws brushed along the side of the untried sword, Hoshi twisting it in her arms to deflect the attack and throw the woman off balance. Quickly, she regrouped, stilling her mind as she worked to recall all she had learned from Saya in that brief session. Instinct...

Exhaling, Hoshi charged the woman, slashing down at her, the tip of the sword merely catching the fabric of her shirt as the woman dodged away easily. The smile on her lips taunted her, and Hoshi did what she could to keep her emotions in check. As much as she detested being made to fight without clearly knowing the reason, she told herself that what little she knew was more than enough. Her life and the lives of her family were being threatened. She would do what she must to protect them.

Another deep breath and she stilled herself, awaiting the next attack.

"Saya!"

The shout from Haji, as unemotional as it had been, snatched her attention at just the wrong moment. Pain rippled through her body as she felt the claws pierce her stomach, curling up inside her as she let out a scream of pain.

* * *

She'd only been stunned for a moment or so, but that was enough to allow both Chiropteran women to focus their attacks on Haji. His case was raised, a shield between them and himself as he stood in front of Saya. Staggering to her feet, she snatched her sword from where it had fallen to the ground, her thumb toying with the pinprick point of the sword. It had been her intention to keep at least one of them alive so she could pry some answers. The blood rage filled her being, and she embraced it, as she was no longer certain that such an outcome would be possible. Saya held onto the essence of her being – her reason, her emotion – and hoped it would be enough.

She jumped up, placing a hand on Haji's shoulder to use him as leverage, coming down on the other side of his makeshift barrier to kick both women in the face, knocking them back. Saya held her sword out, allowing the edge of the sword to cut open her thumb, the nerves in the area all but dead after repeated abuse. The drops of blood trickled, rubies rolling down the length of the blade as she made sure the women saw it. There would be no turning back at this point, if the one who had made them had truly been spawned from the blood of Diva. Damage done with the blade would result in loss of limbs, if not life. She doubted that their opponent had enough resources at his disposal to save either.

Foolishness or ignorance were the only way that Saya could explain the brazen charge the women made, claws out and pretty faces distorted as they drew more upon their Chiropteran powers. Feeling Haji move to a more offensive stance, shifting the case and his weight as he charged the women. The case slammed on the ground, sending the two women leaping out of the way. Saya darted towards the one at her left, blade out as she thrust at the woman's legs, ready to end this fight as quickly as possible.

"Hoshi!"

The scream snatched her mind back from the dark place it went whenever she fought, her eyes losing a bit of their gleam as her eyes scanned the area for her niece. No...she could not, and would not lose another family member. Not while she still had breath in her body...

The gleam resurfaced, almost giving off its own light as she slashed through the woman in her way, the Chiropteran's dying wail all but mute in her ear as she dashed towards the cry she'd heard from Tsukiko moments ago.

* * *

Tsukiko didn't see so much as she felt the fight converging upon the point where she ran, Hoshi kneeling, her fingers still clenching the sword in her hand as she strained to keep upright while her other hand pressed against the wound. The pressure was far from enough to keep the blood from pumping, slow and steady, from the wound in her stomach, the slick, hot liquid arousing feelings in the wounded Queen that she thought she'd long grew beyond.

The red-eyed sister stood over the blue-eyed one, bending slightly to place a hand on Hoshi's shoulder, her eyes focused on the Chiropteran who stood some distance away, licking tentatively at the blood on her claws, considering the situation.

"Stay down, Nee-chan," Tsukiko said, her words coming out in a husky growl. "I'll handle her."

"We will."

Tsukiko spared a glance to her right, seeing Saya approach, sword outstretched and Haji in close pursuit, guarding his Queen's back as the remaining two Chiropteran females joined forces. The two groups faced each other, Haji standing closer to Hoshi, preparing to guard her once the other two began fighting.

Her muscles tensed, ready to spring as she watched one woman lean over to the other, the barest whisper reaching her ears even in her heightened state of awareness. Both nodded and then took off the same way they came, leaving their fallen companions without so much as a look behind them. Her eyes followed them for as long as she could, relaxing only when she saw Saya rip a bit of her shirt, using it to clean off the worst blood from her sword before putting it away in the sheath. Whipping around, causing the drying blood on her skin to crack and flake off, she turned to her sister, wrapping an arm around Hoshi's shoulder as she carefully lifted the hand off the wound, moving the fabric aside to get a glimpse at it. It was deep, but it did not appear to be fatal. Hoshi's breathing was shallow, her heartbeat still frantically racing as the adrenaline raced in her system.

"I'm sorry," she whisped between breaths, her eyes watering up a little.

"Quite, silly," Tsukiko told her, brushing a strand of long hair over her sister's ear, smiling at her. "It was your first fight, and we weren't fighting run of the mill Chiropterans. You did just fine for your first fight. Just fine..."

Tsukiko glanced up at Saya and Haji who still stood over them, movement from Kai and David drawing her attention as they raced over. Kai grimaced at the mess he saw, his eyes shifting from Tsukiko to Hoshi, trying to determine who needed to be treated as she fished around in the duffel bag he held.

"Hoshi has a wound in her stomach. I'm a little sore, but nothing a long hot bath won't cure," she told him, resolving the issue.

As Kai knelt down next to her, pulling out a first aid kit, she stood, wrinkling her nose slightly as she felt the dried blood and matter on her skin as it flaked off. She needed a bath in the worst way.

"I think you all should see this..."

Kei stood some distance away, and at his feet was the body that Saya had slashed as she had rushed to Hoshi's defense. Tsukiko gave her sister a quick glance, forcing herself to remember that such a wound was far from life-threatening, and headed over with the others to see what Kei wanted.

Her nose wrinkled as she considered the mess that lay on the ground. Saya had done a lot of damage, almost completely severing the woman's torso. The sharp sword had been stopped by the spine, it seemed, but the damage was more than enough to keep the woman from regenerating quickly enough to restore the various organs that peaked out from the wound in her side. Her eyes scanned the body, trying to figure out what she was supposed to be seeing...

"My blood had practically no effect," she heard Saya murmur. The older Queen stood, a slight frown marring her otherwise youthful look, her gaze drilling into the corpse as though it intended to discover its secrets.

Taking another look at the body, she now saw what was not there to be seen. If Diva's blood had coursed through the veins of the Chiropteran woman, she would have been crystallized by the poisonous blood of her twin sister. That was not the case, as the blood still poured freely, the body still attempting to pump blood to the dying parts of the body. Kei knelt close to the body, producing a pair of gloves from a pocket as he prodded the edges of the wound with a finger.

"No, there was an effect, but it was negligible in this case," he said, holding up a finger in the moonlight. "There are a few hints of crystal, but the blood of this creature is so genetically different from Diva's that it barely reacted at all. Fascinating..."

Tsukiko let out a long snort, all but rolling her eyes at the man. Hoshi was wounded, she was covered in dura matter and who knew what else, and he was fascinated with a corpse.

Saya let out a soft giggle, drawing an eyebrow raise from Haji and a rather confused glance from Kei. And this was the group destined to save the world, huh? Lifting her fingers to her face, she plucked off a large flake that had been bothering her, flicking it aside. This journey was going to be more interesting than she cared to make it.

* * *

Hoshi took a deep breath, bracing herself for the pain while resolving not to let any of the hotel staff see. Kai had created a rather quick patch job, preferring to wait until they could thoroughly disinfect it before properly wrapping it. Every step sent icy chills from her stomach that traveled along her sides and up her back. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to appear more tired than wounded as they made their way into the hallways of the hotel and up to their room. While drawing a few glimpses from passing staff, no one stopped them or said anything. Tsukiko had managed to clean off her face with a bottle of water purchased at a gas station, covered in a jacket that had been left in the car.

She found herself shaking her head as she slipped the key card into the scanner on their door, entering the room she would share with her sister. Luck seemed to favor her tonight.

"I love you, sis, but I'm hopping in the shower first," Tsukiko said as she closed the front door behind her. Before Hoshi could even think about whether she wanted to protest, Tsukiko ducked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. There was no sound of a lock, but the distinct sound of water falling from the shower let her know that she wasn't getting in there anytime soon.

"Great," she muttered to herself, looking down at her shirt and wondering how she was going to get it off. She felt a slight trickle working its way down her side, and knew that the patch was failing. A soft knock on the door drew a sigh from her. Hoshi desperately wanted this night to be over.

"Can I come take a shower in your room, Kai?" she asked, opening the door. "Tsukiko dashed into the shower before I could get in a word edgewise..."

Her eyes met Kei's, and it was with a large amount of amusement that she noticed his cheeks were flushed and his eyes darted to the side as he cleared his throat.

"They...umm....Kai-san...They told me to come and see about your wounds."

Hoshi noticed the first aid kit in his hands, tilting her head a little as she wondered what the heck had prompted Kai to do such a thing. She opened the door, feeling awkward for him as he shifted his weight from one foot to another. It seemed that he was more in his element when dealing with specimens and test tubes than human beings.

"What are he and David doing?" she asked, the unfinished portion of the question that they deemed her well being of such little personal importance.

"Cataloging the material that was gathered while we were there, namely the blood of the Chiropteran remains. They intend to send out a report to Julia-san and Red Shield about tonight's events before sunrise."

And didn't trust him with the information. The dejected look on his face as he spoke of the matter told her all she needed to know. Her lips parted a little, considering the question she wanted to ask before deciding she didn't want to make the situation more awkward than necessary. Walking back into her room, she hoped that Tsukiko heard his voice and knew better than to come flouncing out in nothing as she was prone to doing. The door clicked shut behind them as she flipped on the main light in the room, sitting at the small table near the curtained windows, rolling up her shirt to give him access to the wound without revealing too much.

Hoshi gave him a cool look, resisting the urge to giggle as she saw the color on his cheeks deepen.

"You really don't have much interaction with women, do you, dear?"

"Am I really that awkward?" he said, a slight laugh in his voice.

"Well, you're obviously no doctor," she replied, directing her gaze towards the wall as she had no desire to see how bad the wound might look regardless of how well it would heal.

She felt the tape being pulled from her skin, trying to position herself in a way that her arms stayed out of Kei's way as she felt the chilly burn of alcohol on her skin, holding back a hiss.

"Simply fascinating..." she heard him murmur. Whipping her head around to face him, she glared slightly at the top of his head as he sat oblivious to her ire.

"I'd appreciate it if you would simply patch me up and be on your way," she said, deliberately picking her words. "I'm exhausted, sore, hurt and have no real desire to be treated as another experiment."

As his hazel eyes met her blue ones, she was startled to find that he was once again scrutinizing her.

"You and your sister are quite alike, yet completely different," he told her, picking up some gauze from the kit, placing it aside to place on the wound. With a pair of tweezers in one hand and a tube of ointment in the other, he applied the thick, ivory salve to a cotton ball, dabbing it on her skin where he deemed appropriate before grabbing the medical tape and gauze.

"Could you...umm...?"

She lifted her arms up, not particularly caring how much he saw. The more tired she got, the more apathetic she tended to feel, which rarely fared well for the people around her. Even her sister rarely stayed in her room once the yawns came too frequently. Somehow, he managed to wrap the tape around her, securing the pieces of gauze against her skin so that they wouldn't shift during the night.

"If you like, you could come take a shower in my room. Although I can't handle any of the materials, I still would like to see what Kai-san and David-san are working on."

She could practically feel the heat radiating from his face. Really...for as skilled a fighter and scientist as he may be...

"Thank you, Kei. I'd really appreciate it."

Taking the key card from where she'd placed it, she knocked softly on the bathroom door.

"Nee-chan, I'm going to Kei's room to take a shower. I'll be back soon."

A soft grunt emerged, and Hoshi took it as at least a sign that she'd been heard. Kei held the door open for her as she left the room, following in a few doors down to where he shared a suite with David and Kai. He opened his door for her and stood there long enough to watch her go in.

"Just remember, we're next door if you need anything," he said, having regained his composure. He really was a rather sweet kid, and she couldn't help but smile a little at him, nodding at his words. Back came the blush...

With a chuckle, Hoshi started her shower, all but cooing at the feeling of the hot water on her aching muscles. Her body slowly relaxing, her mind drifted back to her first attempt at fighting. Glancing down at her hands, the water hitting her back and running over her shoulder, she just stared at them. Her academic mind rationalized it all, knowing that theory differed from reality, and practice was just that, and she'd had no real battle experience prior to that point. None of it helped her feel like less than a person when compared with her sister or her aunt. Hell, even Kei had been of more help tonight than she.

Still, she couldn't give into self-pity. But what could she do? Her hands clenched slightly and she let out a soft sigh. So used to having everything she put her hands to go at least reasonably well that she struggled with a seed of bitter resentment as it tried to implant itself in her mind. If only...if only...

Reaching over and turning the water off, she reached outside, grabbing a towel and pressing it to her face. She was still sore, but at least she was clean now. As she stepped outside of the shower stall, a wave of dizziness hit her, forcing her to grip the towel rack, almost tearing it off the wall in her effort to keep on her feet. It wasn't until that moment did Hoshi consider she'd lost far too much blood. Inhaling as she righted herself, she made her way out of the bathroom, bracing herself against the wall and looking at the door that separated Kei's room from the one shared by David and Kai.

Kei's bed was closer. She just needed to rest for a while.

When Kei walked into his room, tired yet excited, he was more than a little shocked to find Hoshi still asleep on his bed. Uncertain what to do and more than a little embarrassed with the situation, Kei made himself comfortable at the foot of the bed, using a spare blanket in the closet to cover himself as he dozed off.


	9. Fatal Attractions

_I am very sorry that this chapter came out so late. It's been a deliciously hectic past couple of weeks for me, and RL matters do come first. Forgive me for the cliffhanger as well. I promise the next chapter will be in two weeks, so just hold on til then! Please R&R  
_

* * *

He'd slipped out of the room just before the sun decided to bathe the sky in that soft peach tone just before the orange of the sun starts to break through. It was late enough that he could make an excuse for being out of his room, but early enough to take care of last night's...interesting affair. Truly, he hadn't expected his Chevaliers to best any of the Queens. There had been a certain pleasure he'd taken in seeing one of them fall to Saya.

"Saya," he muttered to himself as he stood on the roof of the hotel, scanning the horizon with his eyes and his senses to await the approach of the two who survived.

She continued to interest him, for obvious reasons. But he'd seen the fight, and he knew that Haji would be a concern. No Chevalier he made would be able to live up to the experience and loyalty of Haji. He felt a frown turn his lips down slightly, pondering Haji's true place in the equation. He certainly had his suspicions...

They came up behind him quickly and he turned to face them, his stance leisurely as he considered them both. The women had mostly recovered from the bruises and scrapes they'd obtained during the scuffle.

"You did well," he said immediately, not giving them a chance to speak. His eyes met each of theirs as steadily as he could, the weight of their own consideration heavy. They obviously were wary of his intentions, as they should be. However, they were in too deep to get out now, even if they didn't know it themselves. "I am glad you managed to escape before things grew out of hand. It would be a very sad thing to lose you two as well..."

All truth, although certainly shaded. He'd only wanted another opportunity to observe the Queens, compare them to each other. Another step in making his decision and then making his move.

"When will we be able to avenge the death of our sister?" one asked, her voice holding no affection as her eyes continued to bore into him.

"I will let you know the next chance you have to fight them. Until then, wait to hear from me. I will be in touch."

His feet made short the distance between them as he reached out, holding each of their faces with his hands as he gave a soft kiss to one and then the other. They still blushed over the touch, and he allowed himself to be flattered.

When the door to the roof clacked behind him, he sighed, scratching the back of his neck before readjusting his glasses. While part of him hated using others as pawns, it was what he knew. And as far as he knew, it was the only way to get what he really wanted...

* * *

There were bags under her eyes. Why did she care? But they were so huge... Where the heck was Hoshi at to tell her how to get rid of the things. Oh, that's right. She never came back last night. It was all her fault anyway... But why the heck had it bothered her so much?

Tsukiko grumbled to herself as she padded out of the bathroom and back into her bedroom, opening drawers and snatching out a shirt and some shorts. After glaring at them for a while, she threw them back into the drawers they'd come from and headed over to Hoshi's closet. There was one dress in there...her fingers passed through the various prints until she discovered the dark green white-spotted pattern. Hoshi had always told her that she'd look amazing in this dress...

Why did she care? More grumbling ensued as she proceeded to don the dress, brush out her hair, including clipping some awkward strands behind her ear with some hair accessories, courtesy of Hoshi yet again. After borrowing some concealer and lip gloss, Tsukiko felt secure enough to grab her knapsack, sling it on her back and take off. Or tried to. Seeing her reflection in the full length mirror just before the door made her pause for a moment, considering the picture she had painted.

The bags weren't quite so noticeable. Still, why did she care?

Leaving the room, she glanced across the hall at the suite where Kei, David and Kai were staying before sharply turning away. Why hadn't Hoshi come back last night? And why in the hell did it bother her so much?

Halfway to the elevator, she heard a door creak open behind her, and she turned her head over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Kei. She walked faster, reaching the elevator and pushing the down button to summon the machine to her floor.

"Come on," she muttered to herself, wishing the process to go faster.

She had no such luck, and Kei stepped up, glancing over at her for a moment before meeting the brunt force of her stare.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, nothing," he said, throwing his hands up defensively and backing away from her a step or two. "I just...I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress before. You look nice."

Tsukiko immediately shifted her attention to her feet, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks. Since when had she become so self conscious? The question was added to the collection of other ones she'd been gathering that morning as they both got on the elevator. Her eyes finally raised back up just in time for Kei to redirect his attention away from her.

"Thank you," she finally said.

The silence stretched out as he fidgeted and she watched the lights on the buttons tick down the floors. 5...4...3...

"Did Hoshi stay in your room last night?"

She glanced over at him, the shock on his face mirroring the way she felt about the question that just blurted from her gut. Really, there was no other way to bring it up. She was either going to ask, or she wasn't. She considered his hazel eyes as they looked everywhere but her face.

"Well...yes...she did...but I swear that nothing happened. When I came back from David's room, she was just passed out in my bed, and I didn't want to wake her up or move her or anything like that...especially since I had no idea if she had anything on...oh, heavens, I hadn't realized that people might actually think..."

The longer he talked, the deeper the blush on his cheeks became until Tsukiko simply burst into laughter. As the ding announced their arrival, she patted his arm softly and smiled.

"I'm sorry, Kei. I don't know what I was thinking. With this whole situation, I guess I was just a little concerned."

"Well, she is your sister," he responded, the color starting to fade a little. He readjusted his glasses. "It would be a little unusual if you weren't."

It wasn't until she shot him a sideways glance as they headed to the dining area for breakfast did she bother to consider what she was really concerned about. Of all the random people to be attracted to and all the random situations for it to pop up in...

* * *

This wasn't her room. Letting out another yawn, Hoshi ran a hand through her hair, glad it hadn't knotted up too bad during the night. She heard the voices of Kai and David in the next room, a quick discussion before the voices got softer, disappearing after the sound of a door shutting. What time was it? She glanced around for a clock of some sort and sat up in a start. It was almost 11am. She never slept in that long. Only as she raised her hands over her head did she feel the probable source of her lethargy.

She glanced down at the bandages wrapped around her, reaching a hand up to gingerly touch the wound. Her body had done most of the work itself, healing up quickly over the night. There was likely some bruising and a shadow of what the wound had originally been. They would have to be changed before she really got out and about for the day...

"Oh, I did not..." Hoshi murmured to herself as the towel she'd gone to sleep in slipped down her body, exposing herself to the chill air conditioned room. Hurriedly, she snatched it back around her, breathing a soft sigh of relief at the fact that she was the only one in the room at the moment.

She glanced around, finding her clothes piled up in a neat bundle on the floor, blood stains still intact. Well, there went that option. Getting out of the bed, she went over to Kei's closet, browsing through the clothing there to pull out a simple, long-sleeved shirt to throw on in order to cross the hallway and enter her own room. He was tall enough that the shirt went all the way to her knees, and she nodded as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror before opening the door and peaking out.

Five minutes later, she was back in her own clothes, hair held back with a simple headband and approaching the elevator to head downstairs. Her movements didn't pull too much on her wound, which she was grateful for. Healing quickly, she would likely be back to full mobility by the end of the night. Still...

Her mind drifted back to her musings of the previous night. Both Saya and Tsukiko had to come to her rescue. She wasn't used to being less than excellent at something. Prior to last night, she'd convinced herself that the only reasons she wasn't as skilled as Tsukiko was simple lack of experience and interest. If she had gone the same route as her sister, there was no doubt in Hoshi's mind that she would easily surpass Tsukiko in the area of martial arts.

"No doubt," she muttered to herself as the door to the elevator opened. A wry smile touched her lips as she realized she had to convince herself of what she wanted to believe was fact. She could not stand the thought of being a liability in this group. Especially not in front of Saya...

She didn't see him until she'd walked into him, forcing him to catch the glasses as they almost fell off his nose.

"Oh, I am so sorry," Hoshi said immediately, apologizing as she focused on whomever she'd practically trampled.

"Well, I can't say I am. I was wondering if I'd get a chance to run into you ladies again."

She looked up, glancing at the rocker that she'd seemed to keep bumping into.

"Hello, Sho," Hoshi said, unable to keep a straight face in the pure emotion on the man's face. He was dressed casually, jeans and a graphic tee of some cartoon character. A black bandana hid his red hair, and the glasses made her have to hunt for his hazel eyes underneath the thick black frames. "Don't tell me that you're staying in this hotel as well."

"It is the best in the area. Or so I've been told."

He leaned against the wall of the elevator, hands in his pockets, his glance even and cool on her as she regarded him as well. The restaurant back home...the airport...now here... It was events like these repeated meetings that convinced her of the complete lack of coincidences in life. The question that remained and would plague her for some time was what did it all mean? Why did she keep bumping into him over and over and over again?

"Are they?"

"Hmm?" she asked, managing not to look as startled as she felt, realizing that he'd been talking to her.

"Are your sisters and the rest here as well?" he repeated, arching himself slightly to push himself off the wall without removing his hands, bracing himself for the arrival of the elevator on the first floor.

"They are, but whether they're still eating is another matter entirely. I never wake up this late..."

"Rough night?"

"You could say that," she laughed, a smile left on her lips as she wondered just what he would think of her night.

"I know more about those than I'd like to," he responded as though he knew exactly what she was talking about. Poor man. He couldn't possible know.

* * *

She felt her sister approaching before she actually saw her step into the dining room, and she certainly didn't know what to think about the company she was keeping. Cute, certainly, but Hoshi seemed less than enthused about his presence, which in turn made her all the more wary. Tsukiko waved a hand, drawing Hoshi's attention more out of habit than necessity. When Hoshi's face lit up slightly, Tsukiko realized she'd left out a breath she'd been holding. Whatever it was wasn't that serious.

"You certainly slept in late," she told her blue-eyed twin as she took a seat across from her and next to Saya. The oldest queen spared a smile and glance for Hoshi and then returned to the pensive mood she'd been in since she sat down. What the heck had happened after they'd arrived back at the hotel last night...

"Well, I had a bit more to deal with than you did, Nee-chan," Hoshi said, glaring slight at Tsukiko before turning her glare on Sho, who sat down at the table like he belonged there. Tsukiko raised an eyebrow at Hoshi, who simply let out a sigh and shook her head.

"I don't believe we invited you to sit."

The apple slowly went back down as the eyes on that end of the table turned towards Kei, who's full attention was on Sho. Sho's eyes narrowed slightly as he reclined in his chair, helping himself to a biscuit in the center of the table.

"If they ladies want me to leave, all they have to do is say so. You're just along for the ride, aren't ya?"

Hazel met hazel, and Tsukiko shivered slightly at the tension that quickly formed.

"It's fine."

Hoshi's firm, but soft voice broke through it as she spooned some brown sugar into the oatmeal she'd scooped from the large serving bowl in the center of the table.

"We'll be gone as soon as I'm finished eating anyway. My stomach is still a little off from last night."

Tsukiko parted her lips to ask about her sister's injuries when Hoshi flashed her blue eyes on her quickly. Shut up, plain and simple. She's just have to wait until her frosty sibling felt like talking about the matter. Sometimes, it was so hard to remember they were twins...

* * *

He made himself eat in order to remain cordial. Still, he was furious...absolutely furious to see him at the table as well. The fact that he was uncertain what this other guy's motives were was the key source of the irritation. The rest of it came from the fact that he was still slightly uncertain who to choose. Saya was mostly out of the picture, although he was still very, very curious about her. He would need Saya on his side, regardless of whom he chose. Her Chevalier was a problem with choosing her, but he would ultimately submit to her wishes. He seemed the subservient type...

Hoshi had learned quickly, but she still lacked the experience and skill. Time would tell if she developed into someone who could defend her people, but time was not on his side. The longer he played this game, the quicker he would be found out. He did not have the resources of Red Shield, so he could only cover his tracks so much.

He spared a glance at Tsukiko. She was a warrior, certainly. Could she be his queen? That remained to be seen. Sipping at his coffee, he came to another realization which could play the crucial factor. He needed the sister he did not pick to create a Chevalier. While he recalled the...scientists...predicting that he would be genetically able to reproduce with a queen, that was theory. He'd been so cautious thus far that he would be amiss to not prepare for the worse. Considering how Saya's blood had reacted to the Chevaliers he'd created, he was uncertain whether Haji would do.

One twin for a queen, the other a means to an end.

Glancing across the table, he tried not to smile at the man he'd glanced at with such animosity a moment ago. Perhaps he would serve some use after all. He only had to make his choice and push him off on the other one. Another scuffle should make his decision.

* * *

Saya glanced up from her barely eaten breakfast as Kai and David-san strolled into the room. They'd eaten quickly and left to intercept incoming messages from Julia-san. It seemed that they'd received whatever they were waiting for from the way they moved.

"We've got some things to discuss," David-san told them, his eyes focusing on Sho. "We'll take an early lunch if you get hungry, but let's head back up to the rooms for now."

She agreed more now than before that Sho or Kei could be the person they were looking for. He seemed to be particularly attached to her nieces, but she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. They said to keep one's enemies close, but too close could cause quite a problem. If nothing else she needed to tell the rest about her suspicions, but outside of Kei's presence without him becoming suspicious.

"Saya."

Rather than acknowledging the deep tone of Haji's voice, she stood, folding the napkin in her lap and putting it delicately on the table.

"Tsukiko, Hoshi. Let's get this out of the way so we can have some girl time later, ok?"

She smiled at them and the smiles she received warmed her heart a little. Sho's farewell fell on mostly deaf ears as the girls fell in step with her, Kei lagging behind slightly. Saya knew she had to focus, but not until they got back up to the room. Heavens knew that after last night, it would be rather difficult for her to focus on anything when he was around. Refusing to look over her shoulder for fear of seeing a pained look on Haji's face, she continued on, replaying the events of last night...


	10. Other Battles

Her fingers seemed to find every crack and ever edge of the bright jewel that adored the hilt of her sword, the last lifeblood of the man who raised her. Her gaze seemed to be scrying the depths of the crystallized blood, but she was merely lost in her own thoughts. As the car returned that night, Saya had been focused on the question she'd been force to ask herself as they all returned to their cars after the fight, convinced that nothing else could be salvaged from that night and needing to tend to Hoshi. Of what stuff was this King born?

Somewhere deep down, she'd simply assumed that this man had been created with Diva's blood, but the night's battle had dashed that theory to the ground. At least, there was not enough of Diva's blood remaining within him to matter. By all rights, the woman she'd cut down should have been crystal dust. Instead, several vials of her liquid blood were contained in a cushioned, secured case in the trunk. David and Kai would probably be up all night analyzing them with what little equipment they'd brought.

There were too many unanswered questions, and that made her uneasy. The fact that the King could be flitting in and out of their social circle or in the car with her nieces at the moment made her stomach churn. While at some point, Saya had considered just striking Kei with her sword to see if he would turn crystal or bleed, but that idea was now as destroyed as her peace.

By the time she saw Haji's hand, it was already resting lightly on her own, blanketing her hand and providing a much needed distraction. She turned towards him, and as their eyes met, she was reminded of yet another source of discomfort. It was not even the fact that she was uncomfortable with his love. For as far back as she could remember, Saya had always relied on him and his devotion. What made her shy away from his gaze and attention was the fact that she did not know what response to give him. She truly did not know what she felt for the man.

"Haji?"

"Yes, Saya?"

"I cannot give you an answer."

The shift was subtle, but she noticed the flash in his eye and felt the tremor in his hand before he returned to his stoicism. He took a deep breath, letting it out in a soft sigh, and the sound forced Saya to shift her eyes away from his face.

"May I ask why?"

She ran through all the emotions she'd felt over the past month or so, all the words and thoughts that had run through her mind, and realized that it could all be summed up in one sentence.

"Because I have no idea who I am or what I want from life since, for so long, I refused to live in anything but the past."

Even as she said it, Saya realized how true it all was. From the moment Joel was killed and her own nature became apparent to her, Saya had existed as a means to an end. She'd lived through purposes and goals, intending to die the moment her sister took her last breath. Even her time as a normal 16 year old girl with George-san had been an illusion. There was never a time when she lived both facing life and embracing her inhuman nature. The two had always seemed at odds with each other.

As a result in what she had done with her years so far, Saya had not spent time learning about herself in a way that would let her know what she wanted from life or what she planned to do with the centuries she undoubtedly had left.

She had lived so long intending to die, she didn't know how to live, and it was that fact which kept her from being able to return Haji's feelings. A sad sort of laugh left her lips as she slid her hand out from underneath his, letting her sword rest up against the door of the car, angling her body away from his.

"I'm sorry," she murmured so quietly she could barely hear it herself.

"As am I," came the reply, and the sincerity and sadness within it made her vision blur. Haji never changed, constant as always, and she didn't know if she could love him.

She truly was inhuman. It was that thought that still burdened her mind all through the night and this morning's breakfast, and the primary reason she refused to look in his direction.

* * *

The thought crossed her mind again as she walked steadily, just behind David and Kai, as they made their way out to the rental cars they had, the group splitting. Kai, the twins and Kei in one car; David, Saya and Haji in the other. For a moment, she considered riding in the front seat next to David, but decided that would be too cruel. She sat behind the empty front seat, her seatbelt clicking as she glanced out the window. No sooner than the car started and they took off, David cleared his throat.

"I figured I should explain to you two what Kai and I discovered last night. I still don't trust Kei well enough, so you can decide when and what to tell Hoshi and Tsukiko."

"I'm listening," she said softly, putting her own personal problems to the back of her mind for the moment.

"We were trying to see what we could discover from the DNA sequence that would explain the slight, but ineffective affect your blood had on the Chiropterans we fought. I think we found our answer, but I would rather wait til Julia confirmed it with her own investigation.

"The blood that runs through the veins of this… King…seems to be distantly connected to that of yours and Divas. It does not share enough to be a sibling or even a cousin. However, there is a distant kinship, which is why it crystallized at all.

"To be honest, we've wondered if a Queen's blood would kill her children if it wasn't for that crucial hormonal shift which seems to take the fatality out of the blood. Not that any of that matters in this present matter. What may matter, at least down the line, is the danger that a male…a King might pose since they don't have childbirth to remove the killing nature of their blood. "

"A danger or a blessing, depending on how one was to use his blood," Haji murmured.

"Exactly. This mystery man has another Queen's blood coursing through his body, which makes us wonder if she is still alive."

"You would think that if other Queens still lived, they would have surfaced by now," Saya responded.

"Someone has to be making new Chiropterans. They can't all be Diva's offspring."

Another Queen? Perhaps. There was a thought scratching at the back of her mind, just out of reach. She knew it was something that needed to be said or a question that needed to be asked. It was just out of reach, and she found herself sighing in frustration.

"Perhaps," she murmured, repeating her own thoughts.

* * *

Although Hoshi was merely looking out the window, Tsukiko couldn't help but wonder what was on the mind of her introverted sister. The matter concerning the overnighter in Kei's room had been cleared up, but Tsukiko still found herself more than a little irritated with the apparent comfort that she had with him. Despite Saya's warnings, Hoshi continued to treat him as though he'd always been a part of their intimate circle, those privy to the knowledge of who and what they were.

It bothered her as much as the inability to properly protect Hoshi last night. Again, Saya's warnings had gone unheeded, and Tsukiko felt herself flush slightly under the berating she was giving herself. She'd instructed them to stay close by, and she knew more than anyone how much of a virgin Hoshi had been to fighting. The war that had seemingly begun with Saya and Diva had been one Tsukiko had participated in from a relatively young age, once she was old enough to wander the streets at night like any other normal teen.

She'd known Hoshi wasn't used to fighting and had gotten so into her own independent ways…

A glance at Hoshi's posture let her know the wound was all but healed, only the occasional shifting after some bump in the road attacked the sensitive new flesh on her stomach and muscles. For her first fight, Tsukiko had Kai and some other newly inducted Red Shield operatives. It was overkill, in retrospect, but the fight had been hers and the rest ample backup. Hoshi had fought a Chiropteran…a Chevalier, at that, with no assistance.

Her mood seemed to worsen, brooding on her personal failure as the source of her ire shifted to her own thoughts and actions last night. Never again, she repeated in her mind, afraid to even whisper the phrase for fear that Hoshi would hear and comment. The logical nature of her sister would ultimately try to convince her that it had not been her fault and that injuries are a part of war. Tsukiko knew all of that.

She just wasn't ready to forgive herself for leaving her untried sister to fight her first battle alone.

It didn't take long for Hoshi to realize that her fatal flaw in her battle was that she allowed herself to get distracted. Until that moment, she had been holding her own against her opponent. Hoshi grimaced a little as she admitted to herself that her primary role in battles for the moment may just be to keep her target occupied and keep herself from being hurt. Unlike the material found inside her books, fighting was more practice than theory, and that crucial element was what she lacked. Honesty and logic forced her to acknowledge that she would have to take the second place position behind Tsukiko in this regard.

She wanted desperately to practice with someone in order to make her natural talents more instinct than latent potential. Saya seemed to have her hands full, being the most practiced and senior Queen in the group, and in Hoshi's mind, Saya had already done more than enough. There was a possibility that Haji would practice with her, but she felt awkward asking him, knowing he was Saya's Chevalier. Between that and the fact that they seemed attached at the hip, Hoshi would rather practice with someone that didn't have such a strong set of overriding priorities. Saya came first with him, and Hoshi understood and accepted that fact.

Tsukiko was out of the question as a sparring partner. Petty, but she would rather not be reminded of the difference in their abilities more than necessary. She would clearly be the pupil while her red-eyed sister played the role of teacher.

It was a complex, and she knew it. She would deal with it at some point, but the most she could do right now was put it out of mind. Having a psychological break could destroy this entire operation, so the best thing she could do was put it out of her mind as much as possible.

"Where are we headed?" Kei asked.

"I'm not sure, honestly. I'm following David, and he refused to say more than that we're headed to a lab to investigate the samples a little more."

Hoshi's eyes flashed to the side, catching the sight of Kei just on the edge of her vision. Awkward in social situations, certainly, but he seemed like he had a bit of experience under his belt in dealing with Chiropterans. It wouldn't be the same thing as going up against her peer, but if she just needed practice…

A pothole forced her to gasp, feeling some of the healing tissue pull. It didn't rip, but the sensation reminded her of last night's failure. She'd ask Kei the next chance she got to do so without attracting too much attention. As long as someone looked in on their sessions, Hoshi thought that it would be ok. She hadn't forgotten that Kei might be the one behind all of this… Perhaps she could unearth some new bit of information that confirmed or denied their suspicions.

"You ok, nee-chan?" Tsukiko asked, a hand on her shoulder.

Hoshi shifted a little in her seat, turning to face her sister.

"I am just fine, nee-chan. Just fine."

She smiled, seeing the familiar face echo the gesture. Hoshi had the next few steps in her mind, and that was enough to keep her mind focused and her attention forward. It was all a challenge…another challenge. It had been a while since she'd felt like anything had pushed her limits. The smile lingered on her face.

* * *

He hated this smell. It was sterile and artificial, bathed in chemicals and that disgusting recycled fragrance. Whenever he finally had his own place, it would have huge windows, letting the breeze flow through the complex. He would never stoop to using air conditioning.

His heart rate quickened as a generator started to whir nearby. The night he'd burned the old facility to the ground, he'd told himself that he would never return to a building like that. Yet, here he was. He had to remind himself that he was here of his own free will, not a prisoner. He was here for a purpose. He was here because they were here, and where they went, he must follow.

At any rate, the excitement overrode most of the dark memories. Today, decisions would be made. Tomorrow, the next step would be taken. Saya was no longer an option. The tension at the breakfast table this morning between her and Haji smacked of lovers quarrelling, and he did not have the luxury to split them apart and then reclaim Saya as his own. Furthermore, he understood that she would never truly trust him or his motives. Her time chasing Diva had left her scarred, he suspected, much in the same way as his time in the lab had left him scarred. They were kindred spirits, in a sense, and he at least hoped they could be cordial. He really did respect her more and more as the days went on…

As soon as they stopped moving, he'd have to activate the tracking device he'd brought. He'd observe, as he had before. Which of the little Queens would prove to be what he needed in order to forge this new world?

* * *

Kei shivered beside her, and Saya noticed that she had goosebumps herself. The AC was likely on a continuous cycle, keeping the sensitive equipment and what few chemicals and materials remained in this lab viable. An old, rarely used Red Shield base held them now, as well as the tools to run one last bunch of tests. As David and Kai prepped tubes and machines, Saya stood up from where she'd been sitting.

"I want to know what, if anything, myself and the girls have to fear this time around. Take samples from us so we can see the effect of their blood on ours."

Saya suspected it would be as negligible as her own blood was on the one Chiropteran she'd manage to cut down. Although she was not guaranteed a kill from her blood, it would be a load off her mind if she and hers were similarly immune.

"Of course," David replied. "We'll do as many tests as we can, saving at least a vial of blood for other miscellaneous tests."

Instead of sitting back down, she found herself pacing a little, her mind racing, probably in an effort to keep it off of her emotional turmoil. On the ride there, testing Kei's blood also came up as an option to see if it was a match with the Chiropterans. They would run tests if and when they could get a reliable sample. David was adamant about not pressing Kei into a corner since, if he was the King they were looking for, he might go feral, disappear or rampage. None of those options were optimal, as he was a source of invaluable information for Red Shield.

Saya had a feeling they would take him alive if they could, and the thought made her stomach sour. Such treatment made Diva the monster she was. She'd rather kill him than make him Red Shield's lab rat. The idea was to neutralize the threat, not create a potential new one. Well, as she watched David and Kai converse in hushed tones, it was not completely unexpected of Red Shield. They had treated her primarily as a weapon, although a large part of that had been her own willingness to do so. Red Shield was a business and a scientific entity; emotions had found little place within their rank and file.

In the moment she'd made to turn around and address Hoshi and Tsukiko, the lights went out. Saya grabbed her sword, even as she hoped that it was just some problem with the barely used electrical systems. A distant crash proved otherwise.

"David, Kai, get those samples protected the best you can and out of the way. We meet them here."

The darkness was illumed by a deep red violet light as the eyes of the Queens prepared the way for their unwelcome guests.


	11. Strategic Choices

_This chapter is dedicated to all of my readers and followers, old and new. Enjoy after the long hiatus!_

* * *

Saya almost hissed at the brightness of the light that Kai and David turned on, her eyes now too sensitive to handle the florescent lamp they had brought with them. She turned her back towards it, adjusting her stance as she withdrew her blade, the scabbard discarded to the floor for the time being. A quick movement beside her, and she felt Haji's presence near her, his scent strong and musky amidst the acidic and metallic scents of the lab.

"Hoshi, Tsukiko, whatever happens, do not leave this room," she told them. "If they want to fight, they will have to do so here and on our terms. Be sure to at least cover that light when you no longer need it."

"As soon as we're done, Saya," she heard David say, the clinking of glass and the rustling of papers mixing in with the sounds of movement above and away.

Her eyes scanned the area, recalling what she could of the layout of the facility as they had entered. The single story building had at least one basement floor, this particular room being close to the heart of the building. They were at least three rooms away from the outside, and she wasn't certain if breaking a hole into the roof was wise at the moment. At least not until David, Kai and Kei fled the building, and she suspected that all three were far too stubborn to leave this fight to her and her nieces.

The sound of a gun being loaded and cocked for the ready reached her ears at the same time she heard footsteps directly above them. Saya had enough time to take a deep breath, hoping Hoshi would fare better this bout, before a panel from the ceiling above them flew down towards them with the unnatural force that had been applied to it. Haji swung his case, smashing the panel out of the way and providing the perfect perch for the two females that slide through the hole, one immediately rebounding off the surface and towards Hoshi. The other female tumbled into Haji, forcing him to step backwards in an attempt to keep her away from his body.

Saya raised her sword, immediately bringing it down towards the woman facing Haji, her dark hair seeming to absorb more light than it was giving off. The strike caught nothing but fabric, the air around them momentarily devoid of the familiar metallic scent that would have told her if the sword had hit home. She thought with mild amusement that at least her thumb was safe from its usual abuse this battle. The Chevalier threw a kick at Haji, moving quickly enough to catch him in the ribs, forcing him to grunt slightly. Saya charged towards her, driving the woman back in the small space as they approached a wall. It was then that she saw a glint in the Chevalier's eyes. It was an emotion she hadn't seen in a enemy for a long time – fear. But they had attacked first…

The woman climbed up the wall, attempting to disappear through the ceiling from where she had descended. Saya leapt on top of a shelf, grabbing a side of the opening before easily swinging herself up after her.

"Haji, watch Kai and David. "

She felt Haji's agreement, feeling the connection between them stretch as she dashed down the narrow passageway beneath the roof, her sensitive nose struggling with the dust left from the rarely maneuvered areas. Her prey was frantic, and Saya was not certain if the woman was running to something or just away from her. If only the two survivors had returned that night, then something was very off. It was a foolish mistake bordering on the verge of suicidal. Saya almost hoped that there was a trap or at least another batch of Chevaliers awaiting her.

* * *

Hoshi could not understand the surprise in the Chevalier's eyes when she and her sister turned on her, the small space of the lab making it harder for her to run. She had immediately charged into her, a foot catching her in the tender area that had barely finished healing, forcing Hoshi to wince, snarling at the cheap move even as she felt herself grab the foot where it connected with her body, twisting it violently and forcing the woman to turn with it. Tsukiko grabbed the woman before she fell, yanking her by the hair and forcing her head back as she drove her elbow down into the woman's chest. Hoshi sat there for a moment, regaining her breath and fighting back the stars in her eyes as the pain finally fought through the rush of adrenaline and endorphins flowing through her system. She unsheathed the sword she'd been given, taking as firm a stance as she could as the Chevalier's skin started to ripple.

"Shit," she heard Tsukiko mutter, the experienced twin jumping back and extending an arm to keep Hoshi from charging forward.

The shift was a violent one, and while she had always heard about it in theory, she had never seen it take place. Bones disjointed and extended as the woman's entire frame grew in one..two…three leaps. Her body was barely within the confines of the room as Hoshi found her head tilting further and further back. The skin turned a dark, deep brown as the eyes went wide and red, a guttural scream coming from the transformed Chevalier as she lifted a newly taloned wing and slammed it down on the ground where Hoshi and Tsukiko were now no longer standing. Hoshi rolled to her feet, air sucking through her teeth as she felt her wound start to open up again. Her eyes flashed to the hole made in the ground from where the talon had struck home. Stronger and bigger, although bigger meant an easier target. At least in theory.

Tsukiko charged at the Chevalier, leaping up to try and latch onto her as Hoshi took a deep breath and pushed herself forward, going for a straight thrust at the torso. A jarring sensation rang through her arms as she realized the skin was thicker now far too late. The Chevalier swung her spare wing at her, knocking her toward the wall while the sword remained stuck in the thick skin near the ribcage.

"Hoshi!"

Three different voices called out her name, and she felt a pair of arms catch her, wind rushing past her ear as someone took the worst of the blow for her, knocking glass vials around them. She looked up and found herself staring into Kei's hazel eyes, his glasses gone in the midst of the action. He smiled at her weakly.

"You're ok?"

She nodded, but her pulse beat through the wound in her side, causing her to wince. A wet trickle started to slide down her hip, and she found herself sorely regretting the decision to not at least wrap up the area before they headed out. Kei snatched at her clothes, snarls and Tsukiko's cries in the background as he looked at her stomach.

"It's been reopened. You really shouldn't push yourself…"

"But I want to fight!" she protested.

His expression grew stern as he stared at her, his usually shyness gone with the seriousness of the moment.

"Part of fighting is knowing when to fight and when to stand down," he told her. "Don't give the enemy something they can use against us."

Don't become a liability. That was what he really meant. Hoshi seethed at the thought of not being able to do anything as Kei gently placed her against the wall and pulled out his own guns. Why was it that he was able to fight along with her family, and all she could manage to do was screw up?

"Damn it all," she hissed under her breath as she tried to find a comfortable position, the pain increasing as Haji came over to stand beside her. Great, now she was being babysat. She turned her head, allowing the angry tears to pour down her face as she wondered just what it was that she could do to be of any use on this mission.

* * *

Tsukiko briefly entertained the thought that Kei would harm her twin instead of helping her, but the thought nearly cost her a limb as the large head turned back toward where she sat on the Chevalier's back and snapped at her. She grimly realized that she didn't have time to worry about her sister's welfare when her own was on the line. With a graceful backflip off her shoulders, Tsukiko forced her claws through the thin membrane of the wing, ripping it as she slid down it like a rope. The Chevalier let out a horrible sound, swinging the appendage wildly and slamming Tsukiko into the wall. She let go, landing to the ground and wincing a little as she popped her dislocated shoulder back into place, feeling her body regenerate the torn ligaments as she loosened them back up. This had to end and soon, before they were all walking in a sea of glass or this damned thing brought down the building on them all.

The Chevalier swung wildly at her, pain obviously keeping what may have been a sharp mind from properly utilizing its strength and potential. She heard Kei's guns being pulled out and decided to take a risk. Sprinting forward, she threw a kick straight into the Chevalier's kneecap, forcing her into a kneeling position before grabbing the clawed hand that dropped in order to brace herself.

"Kei, aim for the shoulder!"

Tsukiko barely had time to pull the arm away from the Chevalier's body before hearing the gunshot go off, feeling the arm detach itself as the rounds poured into the beast. A final scream and Tsukiko had to dodge the gush of blood that poured out from the empty hole. She tossed the useless part to the side and watched as the Chevalier writhed in pain. At that moment, she felt a moment's pity for the creature. There was no clear way to know how old the Chevalier was without asking her or her maker, but it was clear that none of them had been trained or even prepared for this encounter. Slowly, the creature shifted back into her human form, groaning in an agony that Tsukiko could only imagine. Over the years, none of the battle wounds she'd taken had ever been close to that severe. Even Hoshi's stomach injury gave her experiences a run for their money. Tsukiko approached the woman, kneeling close to her and keeping her weight on the balls of her feet. She would take no risks.

"It is over," she told the other woman. "It is clear that you can't fight in this condition, and you are facing three foes. Four if my aunt has defeated the other one with you. Cooperate, and at least we can get you some help."

"He promised we were special," she muttered, eyes glazed over in the agony-induced delirium she seemed to enter. "Lies. All lies. You were supposed to be weakened from last night. We trusted him. We…"

Her eyes widened and Tsukiko glanced over her shoulder to see what caused the change. Kei stood there with a shotgun in his hands pointed straight at her.

"You."

_Bang_.

* * *

The kick Saya dealt to the woman drove her threw the roof and back to the place the fight had began. Anger rolled through her, so when she stepped out of the Chevalier's stomach, Saya was not surprised to find the woman barely breathing. Most of her internal organs were undoubtedly destroyed. Tears rolled down her eyes as they lost the life left in them, and Saya's anger only increased.

What had been the point?

After a long chase through the ventilation system, it became clear that the woman was merely running. At most, she may have been trying to buy herself some time. The pain-laced screams of her sister distracted her long enough for Saya to close the gap and grab her by the throat. Fear had shown from the Chevalier's eyes.

"Who is your maker?" Saya demanded, tightening her grip until her nails pierced the flesh.

She spurted, panic taking over, and she started to claw at Saya's arm. The shallow welts started to heal almost as quickly as they formed. She shook her once, drawing a whimper. Saya wanted to pity the creature, but did not loosen her hold.

"Speak!"

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," the Chevalier cried, the scratching slowing until the woman clung onto Saya's forearm. "He said…he said…"

"Who is _he_?" Saya asked again.

The woman's eyes widened at the sound of gunshot and a scream so unearthly that even Saya shivered. It was enough for the Chevalier to break free of Saya's grasp and start running back to where they had started, but not before Saya's anger reached an unprecedented level. And that was why the woman now clung to life, a frothy cough of blood erupting from the lungs that no longer quite served their function.

"Saya?"

She turned on Haji, almost snarling at him before she snapped out of her frenzy, exhaustion starting to eat at her psyche. One last glance at the woman gasping for air, and Saya had to try one last time. She sank to her knees, looking at the woman, hoping something could be salvaged from this battle.

"Give me a name…a hint…anything…"

"Such a liar."

Like that narrowed the search any. Saya let out a deep sigh, looking around at the damage done and noticing Hoshi against the wall, ran over to her.

"Hoshi," she said, brushing away the long strands from her niece's face. "Are you ok? Can you walk?"

"I'll be fine," Hoshi replied, her voice even more devoid of emotion than usual.

Saya helped her up, being as gentle as she could before taking her sheathed sword from Haji.

"What the hell did you do that for?"

Turning around, she saw Tsukiko staring at Kei, eyes still red. The man was putting away the shotgun that he apparently used to destroy the face of the Chevalier they had faced.

"She obviously wasn't going to talk," he replied. "At least there is blood and tissue samples that we can further analyze. Besides, I doubt she would have wanted to be taken alive anyway."

He shot a glance at David where he and Kai sat with the large cases, secured and untouched despite the crumbling roof and damaged room. Tsukiko still bristled.

"Who cares what she wanted? They're monsters, all of them, and I don't care if they get locked up or experimented on!"

"Tsukiko."

Saya only barely got her niece's attention, the fire burning in the child's red eyes dimming only slightly when she looked over.

"You are aware that those monsters include us," she said softly.

Tsukiko's mouth opened slightly before shutting her lips, the tension not fully disappearing.

"Haji is _exactly_ like those monsters we just killed. Would you have him locked up for the sake of science? And what about us?"

Saya stepped over glass and debris, making her way to her kin, her actions steady as she placed her hands on the other woman's shoulders, wondering at the feeling of looking into a mirror. Perhaps she was in a sense, remembering her old agenda to end two lives once upon a time.

"We are all products of our development and our makers. You were so quick to put me on a pedestal and then to demonize me for killing my sister, who was quite a monster. Tsukiko, you need to decide just what it is that you are fighting for, and if it is an idea or a belief, that it is one you can believe to the end, not one you will make exceptions for."

Saya removed her hands, feeling particularly tired after this little outburst. She threw her sword into its holder on her back before reluctantly wondering how the twins would've turned out if Diva had lived to raise them.

* * *

It had been a splendid performance, and his Chevaliers had proven useful to the end, keeping his identity hidden safely away. He had hoped they would, but he had to admit that as he returned to the hotel that night, he was flooded with the sense of relief that at least the Queens were still not in the dark, although it was obvious he was suspected. What he was upset about was that this final battle of force had shown true flaws within both of the potential prizes.

Tsukiko, full of fire and fury, an elegant display of all the things dark and dangerous about a Queen. However, her mental instability was something he had not noticed until Saya pointed it out. Despite no longer being an option, he was grateful that Saya was proving so useful in aiding his decision. Tsukiko acted impulsively on assumption, and he wondered if Red Shield was using her as much as she thought she knew what she was fighting for. Once the assumption changed, so did Tsukiko's mind and any allegiances she may have held.

On the other hand was Hoshi who had proven to lack what it takes in the physical field at the moment. In time and with effort, she could be trained. But what concerned him was the perceived disparity of power between them. The Chiropteran world was more than ready to support Saya as their Queen. It followed that they would likely follow either of the Little Queens as well, untried as they may be. If he appeared to be forcing himself on the sweet, intelligent Hoshi and the rest of the Chiropterans would turn on him…

It was a predicament. No matter that he intended to take what he needed by force, but he did not want to force either little Queen into feeling something for him. He would think about these limitations. What could be used to his advantage? What flaw could he live with? Tsukiko was adamantly opposed to the Chiropterans right now, but should Saya's words settle in…should Red Shield's past be demonstrated… Tsukiko would be a powerful ally at worst. But he was so drawn to Hoshi's fragile nature. She needed someone to protect her, someone to lead her.

He would just have to sleep on it.

* * *

The ride home was relatively quiet, each Queen let to her own thoughts, and Hoshi's had only lightened so much from the moment she'd been thrown against the wall. At least Saya had said no cruel thing to her. If anything, her sharp words had been for Tsukiko. Hoshi suspected the scolding had hurt because her sister had spent her entire life admiring the myth this woman was and the living legend she now made herself out to be. It is always hard to take criticism from one you hold so high. After tonight, Hoshi found herself looking at Saya in a new light. She truly did not understand where Saya's endless compassion came from. She wasn't sure if, had she been in Saya's position thirty years ago, she would have withheld her sword from ending potentially dangerous lives.

The medical supplies were buried underneath the rubble and debris from the right, and even though she was back to normal, her ears could catch the faint wail of sirens in the distance. She was not in so much pain that she needed immediate treatment, but Kei snatched a small emergency pack from the trunk as they all piled into the two vehicles, Saya and Tsukiko taking shotgun seats in order to guide the cars away from the bad scene from a movie she would rather forget.

"Hoshi?"

Kei's voice was persistent, and Hoshi realized he had been speaking to her for at least a few moments. She turned towards him, medical equipment in his hands as he sat without his seat belt on, maintaining his balance as the car rocked from the uneven path they took.

"Would you mind lifting your shirt so I can treat your wound. I really should at least disinfect it before we head back. I wish I had time to clean it properly…"

"I suppose it is a half-assed kind of day," she muttered, her tone betraying the bitterness she felt from earlier. Hoshi lifted her shirt up, tucking the ends of it into the band of her bra to secure the fabric so that she wouldn't have to be bothered holding it.

"From all sides, it seemed to me," Kei put in, his hands hovering back and forth between her exposed torso and her torn slacks. "Umm…could you angle your body to the right just a little. Perfect."

The icy burn of the alcohol drew a hiss before Hoshi bit her bottom lip, refusing to let any more signs of pain escape. The tweezers he used reflected the minimal light in her eyes, and she wondered how he could see so well. After dabbing at the wound with the alcohol field cotton ball, Kei sprayed something onto the wound, the burning shifting to a dull ache before he handed her a stack of gauze.

"Would you hold that over the wound while I wrap you up. At least you merely tore the old wound instead of getting an entirely new one. I wonder if it would ever scar should you…"

"Kei. Now is not the time."

Silence took over, Tsukiko occasionally muttering to Kai where to turn, David, Haji and Saya in the other car. Kei's fingers lingered for a moment as he finished dressing her.

"Perhaps later I'll tell you about my training days. If nothing else, they should put things into perspective."

Hoshi wanted to respect his efforts to make her feel better, grudgingly admiring his ability to sympathize with her in this situation. She was glad that he was at least becoming used to them all instead of wandering around like the awe struck scientist he had been. Even so, Hoshi felt like she had let everyone down. She was a Queen. She was supposed to be able to handle this.

"You don't understand," she said softly, fighting the burn forming in her eyes and her chest.

"I know I don't," Kei replied, settling down on his side of the car. "What I do know, however, is that you do not need to spend time beating yourself up over this setback. If you don't like something about yourself, you have two choices: change it or accept it. Which will it be for you?"

Hoshi looked over at him, his eyes set on the dark night around them, the lights of a road coming up quickly as they approached a main thoroughfare finally, enough distance between them and the complex to take back to the city streets.

She found herself wondering if she'd be any better with a handgun. With proper training, of course.


	12. He Said, She Said

The only reason that Saya didn't collapse into her bed as soon as she heard the door click behind Haji was because his arm slid underneath her body, keeping it from falling onto the mattress.

"Haji…"

"You need to relax. At least for the moment. It has been a…difficult night at best."

Again, she wondered just how much of her mind and heart he could see. Wincing as she felt the ache start to form in her muscles, Saya turned around and looked at him, too tired to feel awkward about the situation.

"And what would you suggest."

"A shower, then bath."

The thought had crossed her mind, but exhaustion told her that she'd hardly be able to handle one, let alone both. Haji turned around and disappeared into the bathroom, the light turning on a moment before the sound of the shower. She sighed, knowing that a shower was mandatory and a bath would be heavenly. Looking down at her clothing, it was barely hanging on in random strips on her arms from the battle and she felt a few wounds and muscle tears healing as she stood there. The hardest part was taking that first step away from the beckoning comfort of her bed, but that was all it took before she was standing in the doorway, watching Haji test the water.

"I will clean it out and draw you a bath afterwards, so relax."

Her eyes tilted up to look into his face, his icy blue eyes not letting any emotion show. For now, he was her caretaker and Chevalier alone, and she could at least attempt to forget that inside was a man who hoped to have her love. He bowed before leaving, and she left the door cracked open, discarding the clothes on the floor before pushing back the curtain and letting the hot water hit her skin. A hiss slid through her lips as the heat burned into her body, washing away the grit, grime, and gore from the night. And though she was supposed to be relaxing, her thoughts couldn't help but wonder over tonight's circus. It was a show for someone, but the who was still as elusive as ever, keeping just out of range like a hummingbird feeding. Those Chevalier from the King were hardly sent to do any damage. To send two women against three Queens, two of them tried, and a few humans who had spent most of their lives hunting their kind…it was a suicide mission, and the women had not been informed.

This King was watching them closely, of that she had no doubt, but what was his goal? If she could only figure out what he was after or what he wanted, that would quickly determine what course of action would deal with him most effectively. Saya reached out and placed her hand on the wall holding the showerhead, bending forward a little to let her hair fall forward, watching the trail of dirt swirl down the drain become clearer and clearer. Diva was an obvious threat to mankind, so the answer had been clear to her. However, Saya was not convinced that this King was on the same path as her deceased twin. He was keeping too close, and unless he was planning to take them out in order to achieve a goal of world domination, there may be something deeper to him. Perhaps, what she feared the most, was letting Red Shield get their hands on him and condemning him to the very life he'd been trying to escape. They let her live because she was useful and of no threat. If he was the same…

Saya let out a grunt of frustration, flinging her hair back and forcing her mind to let go of it all. She needed more information, or at least a solid clue to follow. All she knew now was that this King was probably either Kei or Sho, and both men had done nothing but present a pleasant face. All she needed to do was what she had always done – stay alive. Summoning the strength to wash up, she quickly stepped out of the shower, hair wrapped in a spare towel as she walked back into the bedroom.

"Haji?"

Her eyes found him against the door, his case in front of him and his eyes closed. It was a rare moment when he fell asleep in front of her, but she knew he had to at some point. These past few weeks had probably taken more of a toll on him than they ever had on her. Her feet carried her quietly over the carpet, carrying her directly in front of him, and she sunk down, bringing herself to his eyelevel. This man was hand -chosen to be her mate by Joel. His hair, while caked with all sorts of matter, still managed to curl slightly around his face, some of it having gotten lose from the tie he always had it in. Saya tried to remember the last time she had seen his hair down. The memories of her past lives all mixed together, and she didn't try to sift through them for such a trivial matter when she could just reach up and free it herself. Her fingers were at the ribbon before she realized her hand had moved, and as Saya pulled it out, Haji's eyes opened, looking directly into hers as his hair fell forward, the shorter pieces framing his face.

They sat there, breathing deeply, neither one moving until Saya started to pull back. Haji followed her movements, bring his face closer to hers. She stopped where she was, his permanently changed hand reaching up to cradle her face gently. The roughness soothed her somehow, and she closed her eyes and rested her cheek in his palm. A warmth filled her, and Saya placed her hand against his, sighing a little as she opened her eyes once more.

"I don't know how much it will mean or if it will even change anything," she said quietly, her lips barely moving. "But I know that if I could love anyone, I can't imagine loving anyone other than you."

She heard his breathing stop for a moment, forcing her eyes to meet his and see what was hidden there. They softened slightly, and she thought there was a smile on his face for a moment.

"It means much," he replied. "All of your words mean more to me than you can know."

With that, he was back on his feet and Saya wondered at the space his departure left in her thoughts.

* * *

"Do you really think that this is all necessary? I mean…you're you. Not that you didn't know that. But what I'm saying is, or what I'm trying to say is that I just don't know if learning to shoot will benefit you at all when it comes to fighting."

"Does it help you?"

"Well, obviously, but I'm not.."

"Neither am I, if last night was any indication."

With that, Hoshi thrust the car keys into Kei's hands and walked around to the passenger side of the car, getting in and closing it, letting him know this decision was not really up for debate as far as she was concerned. She'd spent most of the night replaying the fight, admitting that she was nowhere near as driven by instinct as she needed to be. While it had been easy to admit her weaknesses, Hoshi learned it was a little more difficult for her to accept the possibility that she may never catch up to her sister. Twins they may be, but thirty years of different experiences had shaped them into two very different individuals. Suddenly, she wanted to talk to Saya, see how she dealt with the mental aspect of fighting Diva.

Kei finally opened the driver's door, sitting down with a sigh as he put the key in the ignition and turned the car on with hardly a sound.

"Why me?" he asked.

"Do you have anything better to do? It's not like Kai or David will let you get your hands on what they're working on. At least this way, you'll be useful."

Hoshi almost felt bad about the words as she saw Kei's face fall a little. It had not occurred to her just how much their distrust of him might bother Kei.

"Well, you're right about that much. Maybe this will be a step in the right direction, hmm? They are letting me out with just you as a body guard."

He laughed a little, but Hoshi felt the innocent words more keenly. Between the two of them, if it came down to a life or death struggle, Hoshi was sure she could finish him off quickly if she was close enough, but she saw how accurate he was with those guns of his. She wasn't sure she'd win if there was a significant amount of distance between them. Kei pulled the car out of the hotel parking lot, and onto the city streets, heading out to the private shooting range they'd reserved for the day. It was a poor attempt at keeping peeping eyes away, but it was better than nothing.

"I need to be faster," Hoshi sighed a little, leaning against her hand as she looked out the window. "I just can't get my body to move as quickly as I want it to in a real battle situation."

"You're thinking about it too much," he told her.

"About what?"

"Everything," he told her, his voice shifting into that emotionless tone he used while being analytical. "Fighting is an art, like painting or singing. No two people do it the same. No two people are going to have the same bag of tricks to pull out. You keep comparing yourself to the people around you when this is the first fight you've probably ever been in. You're doing well enough not to be dead, Queen or no."

An art, he said? She had never really considered it in that light. People spent their entire lives attempting to master an art, never really reaching that state of perfection. For some reason, Hoshi had assumed that fighting was merely a technical activity, and all she needed were the instructions. If Kei was right, though…well, that would explain the entire situation.

"Perhaps you're right," she finally said. "If you are, then the only thing left for me to do is practice, practice, practice."

"Pretty much."

"Up for an all-day training session?"

Kei spared a glance at her as they pulled up to a red light. It took a moment, but he finally smiled.

"Can't promise it'll be all day, but I'll see how long I can keep up with a Queen. Should be a lesson for both of us."

Hoshi smiled a little as well. It was the first time in a while that she felt like she was actually moving in the right direction.

* * *

Too irritated to eat anything, but knowing she'd regret it later if she didn't get something in her stomach, Tsukiko piled her plate with fruit and had a bowl of oatmeal or two to make sure she could keep going for a while. She was the only one from her group down at breakfast, and the implications did not sit well with her. Kai and David were understandable since they had testing to accomplish and samples to send off. It was the rest of the group that bugged her as she spooned brown sugar into her bowl. She was afraid Saya was still upset with her. She was disturbed by the fact that Hoshi was gone with only a note on their dresser, and she suspected that Kei was missing as well since he would obviously not be with the researchers.

"This blows," she said around her first mouthful.

"That's no way to start off a morning."

She looked up and saw a familiar pair of hazel eyes looking down at her as Sho took the seat across the table. Tsukiko wasn't entirely sure she felt like being bothered.

"Don't wanna speak? That's cool. Just worried about you, that's all."

Her bowl now empty before her, she put the spoon down and reached over to spear a piece of pineapple with a toothpick.

"You don't even know me well enough to be worried about me."

"Whose fault is that?"

It would be easier to ignore him if he wasn't so charming. His looks didn't hurt or help either. She shrugged, swallowing before putting some more fruit in her mouth.

"Where's the rest of your people at?"

He wasn't going to let her get away with being quiet, was he?

"Not here, obviously. If you're looking for Hoshi, she left this morning and will probably be gone most of the day."

"And if I was just looking for you?"

That was one response she hadn't quite been expecting. She stabbed a grape with her toothpick before leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms to see if he was being serious. He wasn't wearing any glasses today, so his face read genuine interest. But people lied all the time. However…

"You've found me, haven't you?" she answered.

"What's on your schedule today?"

"Nothing I know of." There hadn't been talk of any leads or plans for today. She deserved a bit of time and space away from everything after that scolding she got last night. She needed some space to breathe, and Hoshi was certainly off doing her own thing. No one seemed worried about her being gone.

"Want to come watch us practice?"

She wasn't even sure what kind of music they played, but an image of Kei and Hoshi off together made up her mind.

"I'd love to."

* * *

The truth was that Saya had been awake for hours. Her body was mostly healed, and the only ache she had was a slight throbbing now and then in her shoulders. A hot shower would easily help with that whenever she finally got up and out of the bed. Although she hated the idea of laying around and doing nothing, the warmth of the comforter and the softness of the mattress were too inviting.

"You know, it would be ok for you to sleep in the bed now and then."

"Then who would keep watch? You sleep like the dead."

She giggled since she knew it was true. Sitting up a little, Saya sat up enough to see Haji polishing his cello. The instrument gleamed in the artificial light, and she knew he'd been working on it for some time.

"Play something for me?"

He looked up at her, and she laid back down, pushing the covers under her head so she could see him from where she lay. Haji put down the rag, picking up his bow and putting some resin on it before positioning the cello between his legs. The first few notes rang out rich and strong, and for a moment, Saya was but a young woman and Haji the young man she spent all her days with. She didn't recognize the piece, but it was soothing and simple, a sort of lullaby, and Saya closed her eyes, wondering if he was doing it on purpose to put her back to sleep.

A knock on the door broke the moment as David cracked it open without a comment from her or Haji.

"Have you seen Tsukiko this morning?" he asked.

"No, she hasn't been by and I haven't left my bed yet," she said as she sat back up. "Is something wrong?"

"Not wrong, no," David answered. "She just isn't around, so I don't know if she left with Hoshi or went off on her own."

"They have phones, don't they? Between the two of them, I'm not worried about Tsukiko at all. I'm worried about anyone who rubs her the wrong way."

"Yes, I know, but this is a sensitive operation, and…"

"We have made next to no headway on it, have we?" she asked, getting a little irritated with the man. "Those two are thirty, which is plenty old in human terms. Let them have some space to breathe. I'm the one serving Red Shield, after all. Not them."

David turned a shade of red before closing the door. She looked over at Haji, whose eyes were closed as he turned up the volume with his playing, not remotely put out by the exchange. Saya reluctantly got out of bed, sure that either David or Kai would be by soon enough to bug her with one thing or another.

"Haji, you are the one constant in my life that I am grateful to have. I could do without this fighting stuff for a decade or two."

As she went into the bathroom to shower, she thought she may just have heard him laugh.

* * *

Hoshi stood facing Kei, who refused to make eye contact with her, preferring to stare down at his gun. She'd gotten the hang of using a gun pretty quickly once she adjusted to the kickback in each one. Her aim was more or less flawless, particularly regarding moving targets. Math formulas solved themselves quickly in her head, so it was just a matter of predicting movement and counting for minor variables. But her lack of speed was still bothering her, so it had come to this.

"I really don't feel comfortable about doing this," he told her again.

"Worse case, you land a shot. We call it quits for the day and pick up training again when I heal up. Best case, I don't get so much as a scrape."

He took the safety off the gun he held, sighing as he shook his head.

"At least see if you can race the damned thing first. Take out a target before I do five times in a row, and I'll use you as target practice. Deal?"

"Deal," she agreed before he could change his mind.

The range was mostly grass, although there were plenty of bare patches scattering the landscape where feet had dug into the ground over and over. She pondered taking off her shoes and doing this barefoot, but she would have to learn to run in whatever shoes she happened to be wearing. A shard of broken glass was enough of a distraction to cost her a life. If she was lucky, it would be her own. Next time she dragged him out here, she'd have to bring heels. Standing an arm's length in front of him, Hoshi lined herself up with his gun as much as she could, trying to make this fair. Five times in a row, and she could have her way. She had a feeling it was easier than it sounded.

"Ready. Set."

Her feet took off as soon as she heard the bullet, sprinting towards the human0shaped target in the distance. She was about a yard away when she saw the bullet go clear through the paper head, leaving a small, blackened whole between the invisible eyes. Her chest rose rapidly as she caught her breath, feeling a little out of shape as she turned around to look at Kei where he stood with the gun pointed towards the ground, knowing that he'd won that round. Hoshi started to walk back, her breathing reaching a normal state just as she got back to her starting point.

"Again?"

Hoshi refused to answer him, instead facing the target. The gun sounded off, Hoshi sprinted forward, and she reached the target in time to watch the bullet pass through and beyond. Her calf muscles stung slightly, and her heart still beat wildly as she face Kei again. He tossed her the gun in his hand, tilting his head to consider her.

"You're out of shape."

"What?"

"For a Queen, I mean," he sputtered, at least having the decency to turn red. "I just mean… I've spent nights chasing after Chiropterans before. You're breathing hard after a couple of sprints."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Granted, you were racing a bullet," Kei continued, his hands up defensively. "But my point is that you should be past the point of chasing something. Queens are supposed to be superior to their blood-born offspring in every way. Tsukiko has spent her life training herself. My understanding of you is that you…umm…haven't."

There was nothing she could say to that, and it flustered her. Her life had been spent in academic pursuits mostly. High school sports hardly counted when talking about matters like this. No matter how she'd hoped there was an easy way around this attempt to becoming a fighting prodigy overnight, Hoshi finally had to face facts.

"We're just going to have to start at the basics, huh?"

"Seems like it," he agreed. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather do this with…."

"Positive."

She smirked slightly, holding the gun out and shooting the remaining bullets, landing them squarely in the chest, stomach and hands of the target before tossing it back to Kei. As she caught his eyes again, Hoshi wondered if maybe the reason she was so insistent on spending time with him was more about the connection they seemed to be forming and less about her insecurity with her sister.


	13. Blood Ties

When they all gathered for dinner that night, the only one that looked remotely relaxed was Saya. She had taken the day and indulged in the hotel spa, taken her lunch outside in the well lit courtyard and listened to Haji play during most of it all. After all, she didn't know anyone who could refuse the mellow tones of that tall, dark, and handsome instrument.

As she enjoyed a bowl of pasta, her eyes panned around their table, piecing together what information she could gather just based on her sight. Hoshi looked exhausted, dressed in a jogging suit, her hair held back with a headband. Kei looked only slightly less tired than she did, also dressed up in workout clothing. The two had obviously spent the day together training. She smiled a little at the thought, glad that Hoshi was dealing with her defeats by bettering herself. To be honest, she'd been on the verge of telling Hoshi to sit out the next mission, concerned with losing her. Fighting was not her strong point, and a weak link in the midst of a scuffle could mean the death of someone.

Saya tore off a bit of bread, dipping it into the oil and vinegar mixture that sat at the center of the table before taking a bite and considering Tsukiko. She had been rocking out to whatever was in her headphones since she'd been at the table, a soft smile on her lips. It was the most…well, normal thing she'd seen her niece do. While she had no idea how she got the music, Saya was sitting close enough to catch some of the vocals now and then to know who it was.

The meal was quiet; the closest thing to talking anyone was doing was the passing of notes between Kai and David, the hushed whispers between Kei and Hoshi, and the humming of Tsukiko. It wasn't that unusual, but there was a tension in the air that made her wonder what she'd missed.

"Did you two enjoy your day off?" she said, tired of the silence as she sat her empty bowl aside and helped herself to another slice of the fresh loaf.

"I most certainly did," Tsukiko said, a plateful of fruit quickly emptying. "It felt good to just sit back and do nothing for a change."

Saya didn't miss the side glance Tsukiko gave Hoshi, and neither did her niece.

"I had a very productive day, thank you," Hoshi responded after flicking her gaze in her sister's direction. "I'd rather not find myself a thorn in your side, Saya. Or anyone else's."

Tsukiko clearly bristled at that last comment, and she pushed the empty plate in front of her to the middle of the table before relaxing, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Well, THAT is good to hear. I enjoyed a leisurely day with Sho at his band's rehearsal. The concert is coming up, after all. I believe it is the day after tomorrow. He even offered me a backstage pass."

"Which I'm sure he would offer to me as well, if I wanted it."

"You've always thought highly of yourself, haven't you, Nee-san?" It was hard to miss the sneer in Tsukiko's voice. "Maybe that is the real reason why you never trained or fought with us. Too good to get your hands dirty."

"You were training with Kei earlier, right?"

Everyone turned towards the end of the table at the sound of David's voice, the question seemingly oblivious to the family feud going on before him. It took Hoshi a moment to refocus, and Saya raised an eyebrow at Kai at the intrusion. He shook his head slightly, not wanting to get into things here. He would've shrugged if he'd had an idea what David really wanted. Her body tensed a little at the thought he might be scheming over something. However, Red Shield had always had ulterior motives for what they did. She'd just never had a reason to care before, she realized, and wondered what more in her life was destined to change now that she fought to live instead of raced to die.

"Umm, yes," Hoshi answered. "He helped me find what I'm good at. What I lack in experience, I intend to make up for in a little hard work and determination."

A genuine smile touched her face for a moment as she looked over at Kei, who blushed a little before picking at his salad, the only thing left of the steak and backed potato being the bone.

"Ladies, I would like to see you in our rooms when you're done eating," David said, rising from the table. "It won't take long, I promise. I just want to let you know what progress has been made on the case."

Her eyes watched the back of David for a moment before looking at Kai. He pulled his chair closer to hers, sighing a little as he stretched.

"It was a late night, and I think we only got a few hours of sleep at some point. What did you spend your time doing?"

"Not a damn thing," she said proudly.

As Kai sighed enviously, Saya put the last bit of bread in her mouth before grabbing the rest of the loaf and wrapping it up in a napkin, tossing it lightly into her purse as she backed away from the table.

"Take your time, you two," she told the girls. "And please try to keep it civil. At least until we're behind closed doors."

With that, Saya waited for Haji to rise before heading upstairs to try to get into David's head before the meeting actually started.

* * *

Tsukiko sat at the table with her sister for a moment before getting up and heading back to the room they shared. She'd had enough of the hushed whispers those two were sharing. Fuming every step of the way, the thought occurred to her that maybe she was more upset over the distance growing between Hoshi and herself than she was about anything else. Her steps slowed as she reached the elevator and stared at the floor, hands clasped behind her back. Hoshi had always been at home, waiting for her to return and listen to whatever stories she had to share. Had she really thought that Hoshi was meant just for her? The thought seemed horribly possessive, and she wasn't sure she liked that side of her personality. To be honest, she didn't really like what any of this mission was bringing out in her.

A few minutes went by before Tsukiko finally ended up in David's room. Saya and Haji were sitting at the table near the window on the far side of the room, David leaning nearby. They all looked up as the door closed behind her.

"Is Hoshi coming?" he asked.

She bit back the snarky reply she had on the tip of her tongue before shrugging and plopping down on the bed, her legs hanging off the bed as she rested her head on the pillow of her arms.

Kai looked over at her and she looked away, sensing that he seemed as torn about the obvious rift between her and her sister as she was. She really wanted to do something about it, but she had no clue how to approach her blue-eyed twin. At least not in the middle of everything that was going on. Right now, she just wanted all of this to be over so that life could go back to what it used to be for them all. She wanted to spend more time getting to know her aunt and figuring out what she could expect in the years to come.

The door opened again a moment later, Hoshi walking in as she took her hair down from its ponytail, wincing a little before reaching with a hand to massage her shoulder.

"Can we make this quick?" she asked. "I desperately need a shower, and I'm hoping that I can make it to the spa before it closes for the night."

"Certainly," David said, standing up straight and positioning himself so that he could see everyone in the room. "We didn't make a lot of progress with the samples we brought back, but we did receive an update from Julia regarding what her team discovered.

"While there are obviously traces of Diva's DNA within this King, Julia stumbled upon another sample and cross-referenced it with the ones we sent. The report she sent over suggests that this King may not be the product of just Diva's DNA, but of several Chiropterans, including some Queens."

"Other Queens?" Saya asked, growing visibly tenser. Haji reached out and placed a hand on her arm. "But I thought…"

"We all thought you and Diva were the only ones," David stated. "Or rather, we assumed that you were, and that all of the rogue Chiropterans that we came across were a product of Diva. A foolish assumption, in retrospect, but we did not have any evidence to the contrary."

Kai stepped forward, standing near Saya.

"Red Shield has started to reach out to other underground networks to share information, and we have verified an ongoing Chiropteran presence on every populated continent. We are not sure how many Queens are out there and if any of them are a threat the way that Diva was."

"But you are acting on that assumption, aren't you?"

Saya's voice was harsh, and she looked from Kai back to David.

"We cannot be too careful, Saya, and it is in our best interest to prepare for a battle with any Queens we do locate than to be caught off guard."

Tsukiko didn't miss the flash of red that flared in Saya's eyes before the woman stood up and started to leave.

"Saya, this meeting is not over yet."

The authority in David's voice was tense, and Saya whipped back towards him, Haji rising gracefully and looking at David as he lifted his case.

"Then I suggest you get to the point," he told the younger man.

"We want Tsukiko and Hoshi to get closer to the Adam III suspects."

Tsukiko sat up quickly, righting herself as she glanced from Hoshi back to David.

"What?"

The question erupted from herself, Hoshi and Saya.

"You want to use us as bait, you mean," Hoshi replied.

"It is obvious Kei and Sho both have an interest in you two, so I simply want to take advantage of that fact, especially since we no longer have any leads in this matter. It would be convenient if the man we're looking for is one of those two, but we also need to be prepared for the possibility that the man we're looking for is in hiding somewhere.

"We really don't know what we're dealing with or what he wants. I simply want to cover our bases."

Tsukiko bit her lip and tried to think through the implications.

"No!" Saya said. "I'm not letting you use my nieces as bait. Like you said, we don't' know what this man is capable of, and I am not taking the chance that he will do to them what Diva did to Riku. I refuse to!"

"Saya Oba-san," Hoshi said softly, coming closer. "I know you are worried, but if we can help to end this more quickly, I don't mind. I've made plans to spend time with Kei on a fairly regular basis, so it won't really change what I've been doing anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"She's planning to keep training with Kei," Tsukiko said, finally speaking up. "Seeing as how she spent all day with him today."

"And why do you sound so upset about that?" Hoshi asked. "Weren't you out all day with Sho and his people?"

"That's not the point!"

"Would you two stop?" Saya hissed.

The room grew quiet, and Tsukiko felt emotions rolling around in her stomach, anger and frustration at the top of the list. Her eyes widened a little as a wave of understanding flowed over her, and she stood up.

"I'm fine with David's plan," she said. "I'll keep an eye on Sho for the time being. I'm sure I'll have him figured out before the week is out."

She stormed out, heading back to her room to plan out her outfit for the next day. Sho had given her an open invitation to drop in whenever she liked, and she had all the more reason to take him up on it now. Glancing in her closet, she found mostly pants and graphic tees, sighing deeply at the fact before sitting down on her bed and looking daggers into the clothing. If she'd approached life like Hoshi, maybe she'd have more appealing clothing, or at least something that would make a guy look at her twice.

Saya had Haji. Hoshi seemed to have Kei. She'd been left alone.

That was really why she was so upset, and she rubbed angry tears from her face as she finally accepted the fact.

* * *

Hoshi passed Tsukiko in the hallway as she made her way back to her room. She had a pair of earrings in her hand for her sister, the pair bugged and fixed with tracking devies, but considering the mood she seemed to be in, she'd just leave her a note on their dresser. Tsukiko hadn't even looked at her as she'd brushed by. Hoshi hated this tension between them, but it was something she would have to push out of her mind for now. She had to focus on making the most of this new mission and her time with Kei. Which meant being prepared for tomorrow and relaxing tonight.

A quick shower, and she felt fairly decent again as she dried her hair with a towel to make sure it didn't drip too much. She twisted it into a bun and secured it with a hairband before throwing on a a shirt and jeans and heading back down. Even if she couldn't get a massage, the sauna didn't close for another hour or so. She could get in a good thirty minute steam before heading to bed. Yawning, she walked into someone as she entered the elevator.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Hoshi tilted her head up a bit to look at Kei, face flushed as he skirted around her.

"The spa closed an hour ago," he said quickly.

"Yeah, I'm just going to go sit in the sauna for a little while," she told him. "See you tomorrow, bright and early."

He nodded before the closing doors hid him from sight, and Hoshi allowed herself to giggle. If he was the King, he did a marvelous acting job. Whoever had turned those women they'd fought had to have enough charisma to trap and fool them.

As her body functioned, her mind wandered, shifting quickly into the analytical thinking she was so used to doing. The probability of Kei being Adam III was about as high as Sho being. Both had appeared without warning on that night of the first attack. Their proximity implicated them more than anything else at the end of the day. Kei was knowledgeable, and seemed to be able to hold his own in battle. Her mind went back to that last tussle with the Chevaliers and recalled how quickly he'd dispatched the survivor. She'd seemed to have recognized him…

"I still don't like it."

Her heart quickened before she realized the voice was from Saya, a towel wrapped around her as she closed the door to the sauna and took a seat across from her. Saya looked her over, shaking her head a little.

"Especially since your senses are still developing. I was humming the whole way down here, and you were still surprised."

Hoshi felt a little ashamed at being caught off guard like that until Saya sighed deeply.

"I just need to get over the fact that you two are your own people and can make your own decisions. All I see are those two babies I couldn't kill. I've missed out on the first thirty years of your life, and the thought of losing you before I get to know you undoes me."

"We did make it through those thirty years without you, you know," Hoshi said softly, her heart slowing back into its normal pace.

"Yes, but you also didn't have a King wandering around. What do you think? Who is it?"

"I wish I could say for certain," Hoshi mused, slipping back into her previous thoughts. "We don't really know anything about Sho other than the fact that he seems to mysteriously pop up out of nowhere and seems to be fixated on us. Kei has a lot of things pointing in his direction as well, but he just seems so awkward around women. I can't imagine him turning anyone."

Saya giggled a little. "I'm sure he'd be very polite about it."

"Or have them drink his blood out of a test tube," Hoshi snickered before melting into a fit of giggles herself. Laughter echoed off the walls for some time before they both calmed down.

"Just be careful," Saya asked. "Don't do anything unnecessarily."

"I'm always careful, Saya," Hoshi replied.

Unfortunately, it just hadn't been enough recently. They sat in a fairly comfortable silence until Saya excused herself for the night, leaving Hoshi alone with her musings once more. As exhaustion started to claim her, her emotions started to surface, and she was surprised at how much she cared about whether Kei was the person they were looking for. He'd been patient, but firm, and once he saw her as a person instead of a girl, his entire attitude shifted into something she found she greatly admired. He was analytical, like her, but she had a feeling that he had enough experience under his belt that he could get to the "whole picture" mindset before she could in a given situation. He was smart…very smart, and that was the main reason she could not just write him off as a suspect, despite his actions.

Still, if he was Adam III and Red Shield learned of it, he would be captured and taken in. He would be experimented on and treated as a thing and not a person. The look in David's eye let him know that he was not beyond doing what was necessary to protect humanity. She wondered where that left her kind in the plans of Red Shield, and suspected that they were all just means to an end. The only remaining question as what would happen to Saya and them when the end was finally achieved.

She felt a little light-headed as she stood up, bracing a hand against the wall to catch herself, not realizing how dehydrated she was. That had to be the only reason she could believe it really didn't matter if he was this King or not. Surely, she'd feel different in the morning.

* * *

Saya awoke to a knocking on the door, hearing it open and close quietly before Haji came back to the bed, noticing she was awake.

"A message came for you," he said, a hint of surprise weaving itself into his voice.

She yawned and accepted the envelope, obviously delivered by the bellhop who'd just dropped by. Haji stood, waiting as she read it. The note was succinct, written in an elegant hand.

_You and your nieces are cordially invited to a private breakfast.  
Room 2P_

Everything in her tensed as she started to shift, everything on fire that something was wrong. Everyone else had assumed, as they'd intended, that they were triplets. No one should have been aware that Saya was older than them, let alone their relationship. This message was too suspicious to ignore, and she wondered whether to tell David and Kai.

"Go wake the girls and let them know we're having breakfast. It's not optional," she said quietly, throwing off the covers to get dressed. A simple sweater and jeans went on as she walked into the hallway, seeing Hoshi and Tsukiko drifting towards her, both probably woken up.

"It's too early for breakfast," Tsukiko muttered.

Hoshi merely yawned as Saya passed the note over. Reading it woke both of them up.

"Who on earth?" Tsukiko said under her breath.

"What I want to know, and what we're going to find out. Haji, stay close, but out of sight."

He nodded as Saya started towards the elevator, the girls following her as Haji walked past, heading towards the stairwell. No one spoke until they reached the front desk. Saya passed over the note, her face softening slightly as she looked at the receptionist.

"We got this message from 2P," she said, her voice shifting to a slightly airy quality. She was, after all, supposed to be sixteen.

"Oh, of course," the man seated behind the desk replied. "Right through those doors over there."

He stood up and pointed behind them, one of the vacant rooms used for private engagements at the end of his direction. Saya thanked him and headed over, speaking under her breath.

"If anything goes wrong or gets out of hand, you two are to go find David and Kai immediately. No questions, understood?"

Tsukiko opened her mouth, and Saya turned to look at her.

"Understood?"

She pressed her lips together, unhappy, but nodding all the same. Saya let her senses come alive as she entered the room, knowing her eyes were glowing even as her nose scented the air, wondering at exactly what it was she was sensing.

The room was laid out for six, a woman of Middle Eastern descent stopping in her tracks as she saw them come in, her face lighting up in a smile.

"My word, I did not expect you to be so young. Salim, would you close the door behind our guests? Come in, come in. I suppose I could have done this in a less suspicious manner, but you had those others around you the entire time, and I really did not want them interrupting us while we talked. Breakfast will be brought in soon, so please, sit."

The woman took a seat at the table, pouring out tea and noticed no one was moving. She laughed softly, putting the teapot down before her, looking Saya in the eye

"There is no need for that, my dear. I promise that no harm will come to you or your nieces. At least not from me and mine."

"Who are you?" Saya asked, suspecting the answer before it came.

The woman stood, placing her hands on the table before her eyes flashed a bright green, dying down as quickly as they flared into a soft green-hazel.

"My name is Farah, and that is my Chevalier, Salim. Like you three, I am a Queen, and it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Saya."


	14. Among Queens

By the time Tsukiko was halfway across the room, she realized that Saya had already placed herself between the mystery woman and her niece. Tsukiko recoiled slightly at the look in Saya's eyes, anger illuminating them. Reluctantly, her stance changed, and Tsukiko took a few steps back, looking back at the woman who introduced herself as the Queen known as Farah. The woman's eyes dimmed back to a more natural color as she reached out to touch her Chevalier's shoulder.

"I told you this was not the best of ideas," he said, his accent heavy.

"So little faith in your maker," she chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the incident. "I knew that the older one would be the most reasonable. Wisdom and age and all of that."

Farah locked eyes with Tsukiko, and she didn't miss the unspoken threat or the power hidden behind that smile. This woman was ancient, and the smile told Tsukiko that she never stood a chance. A fear filled her body with a numbness that made it hard for her to move until Saya took a few steps forward that put them face to face.

"You will learn to reign in that impulsive attitude of yours," her aunt told her. "I did not spare your life just to see you throw it away on a rash decision."

Tsukiko was startled to feel tears start to form, confused by the emotional overload. Saya walked past her, and she followed, rubbing furiously at her eyes before the tears could manifest fully. Hoshi had already sat down at the rectangular table, sitting to the right of the other end of the table. Saya took her seat at the head, and Tsukiko finally fell into a seat at Saya's left.

"Your Chevalier is more than welcome to join us," Farrah said, lifting a small bell. "He would be able to do his job much better here than he would lurking in the shadows.

Tsukiko heard the creak of a vent before seeing Haji descend from the ceiling, landing gracefully before taking his place next to Tsukiko. She had the distinct feeling that she was being babysat, and she did not like it at all.

Farah tilted her wrist, the bell sounding in a few bright, clear notes before another pair of doors opened and several carts were brought out. The waiters rolled the food they carried to Farrah, forming a small caravan as she picked and choose what she wanted, a separate waiter coming around the table to offer tea.

"I am sure you are curious about why I called you out like this," she said. "I promise, I hold no ill will for any of my kind. Or theirs, for that matter."

A flare of her hand indicated she was referring to the waiters. Tsukiko's eyes widened at the casual tone and the direction of the conversation. Farrah saw the look on her face and laughed.

"Oh, dear. These are my personal wait staff. I trust them as I trust Salim."

"So, they know we are Chiropterans."

Hoshi's tone irritated Tsukiko. Her sister was adjusting to this development far too easily. Looking at her across the table, Hoshi was busy picking out pieces of bacon and fresh fruit, her attention not even on their would-be hostess.

"That they do, my dear. I have been in charge of a safe zone of sorts for those Chiropterans who see humans as more than food or foe. Those that have been hunted by one group or another."

Her disdain for Red Shield was made clear by the flat tone she took and the narrowing of her eyes. Farrah took a sip of her tea before placing the cup on the table without a sound.

"Which brings me to why I called you here. My fellow Queens, are you interested in bringing some order to this chaos and helping me with my vision?"

"Which would be?" Saya asked, ignoring the cart at her side for the moment.

"Establishing a world where humans and Chiropterans coexist, of course."

* * *

Hoshi was glad her fork hadn't made it to her lips yet. Otherwise, she would likely be in the same coughing fit as her sister. She shifted back in her seat to try to take everyone's faces into her line of sight. As Tsukiko struggled to rein in her coughing, Saya's eyes narrowed slightly and Farrah continued to eat as though she'd not said anything particularly out of the ordinary.

"Are you out of your damned mind?"

Trust Tsukiko to be the diplomat.

"Give me one good reason that such a state is not a valid option," Farrah said, her voice growing more serious.

Hoshi silently begged her sister not to take the obvious bait. Saya finally turned her attention to the pastry cart, taking several before handing over another plate to be laden with eggs, sausage, and bacon. Looking back at Farrah, Hoshi glimpsed Haji's face, wondering if he would show anything regarding what he thought of the situation. Of course he wouldn't.

"Chiropterans are monsters!"

Of course she took the bait. Hoshi hid a smile within the teacup, amused at how well she was coming to know the people around her. Farrah, however, was not.

"Then perhaps I should kill you now and help mankind, hmm?" Farrah folded her dainty hands. "Have you forgotten what you are?"

"But we…"

"Are different," Farrah said, chuckling dryly. "Indeed, you are. As are all the females of our kind. Because within us is the entirety of our race. So, my dear, as long as you exist, there is always a chance that more Chiropterans will be made."

Hoshi watched Tsukiko struggle with the simplistic analysis before looking to Saya. Their aunt seemed to be sitting this conversation out, at least for the time being. She, on the other hand, had one too many questions.

"You say the humans and Chiropterans coexist in this safe zone of yours, yes?"

Farrah nodded, returning to her meal now that the confrontation with Tsukiko was over for the moment.

"How exactly does that work? In practical terms, I mean."

"Well, I do a lot of the funding to make sure that the media is controlled and the local police are trained in methods of dealing with rogue Chiropterans. Not all believe we can live in harmony with each other, so some do wander into the area in an attempt to do away with what has become the status quo." Farrah's smile turned slightly malicious. "Few of them expect me to be pulling so many strings.

"As far as government, economy, and politics go, I try to keep out of it as much as possible. The key, you see, is for humans to not see you as a threat. Not to their lives or their livelihood. I advise and I loan money at fair interest rates, but I do not intervene with how things are run."

"So a trust has been built."

Saya's voice was heavy with thought, and Hoshi wished for a moment she could read minds. Saya was one person she could not get a clear read on.

"Over the past century or two, yes," Farrah replied. "My offspring had grown to the point where we either had to go our separate ways or begin to integrate with the humans."

"Offspring?" Saya asked.

"Oh, not actual children. I have never and will never bear children. Even if the Chevalier of my twin still existed, I could not violate my relationship with Salim. When I say my offspring, I refer to those whom I have changed, either into Chevalier or into Chiropterans."

"Wait," Tsukiko interrupted. "You two are lovers?"

Hoshi burst into laughter, drawing all eyes at the table. It took a moment as her airy giggles finally died down and she wiped the tears with a napkin.

"Of all the things to pick up on," Hoshi said, another bout of giggles threatening to erupt, "that fact is the one you cling to?"

Tsukiko blushed violently before looking at everyone, ducking her head down a little.

"It's just…I mean… that seems like a lot to give up," she mumbled.

Farrah shrugged. "Considering the fact that I can live with the man I love in harmony, it is a small price to pay. I have those that consider me a mother, both human and Chiropteran, so I have more than most could ever hope to achieve.

"Which is why I need your help to get to the bottom of this King business."

* * *

The jovial mood died down once again as Farrah's eyes glowed once more, and Saya sensed the anger radiating from her across the table.

"I am sure you are aware that is the reason we are here to begin with," Saya said once she had finished her mouthful.

"Indeed. But my request is a little more specific. I would like you to persuade him to join my cause or kill him. I genuinely do not care which so long as your Red Shield does not end up with his remains."

"But why me, when you obviously have the power to end him yourself?"

"Purely selfish reasons. The few of us who are still around do not want to be discovered. Which you two have made infinitely more difficult. Furthermore, I must remain accessible to my children and people. I can't very well go off gallivanting after some hypothetical threat. Finally, because, my dear, you are the Un-Proclaimed Queen."

She'd been dreading the day when she would hear that term again, groaning a little. Farrah chuckled at the sound.

"I do not envy you your task in all of this, my dear. However, considering that much of this mess was caused by your sister, I suppose it is only natural that it falls on your shoulders to clean up the mess."

"And I thought it was over with her death," Saya muttered.

"You underestimate what a busy queen bee she was. I have watched this saga between you two play out for some time, but I was not going to get involved until it proved to be a threat to me and mine."

"So what made you decide to interfere now?"

Farrah's tanned hands cradled the cup gently as, for the first time, her eyes looked down at the table.

"Guilt and a growing sense of responsibility as I was the one that killed your mother."

Silence filled the room, and Saya wasn't entirely sure how to feel. With the loss of many of those she had once cared about, the loss of an unnamed mother seemed like an easily forgivable thing. Still…

"Why?" she asked, her voice soft.

"Your mother and my sister had been fighting over territory when your mother bested my sister. She sent her head to me in a burlap sack." Farrah's voice sounded as though she'd eaten something rotten, and Saya knew the memory was still vivid for her. "In a fit of rage, I sought revenge. I was not the first with such a thought since all of my sister's Chevaliers also fell to your mother. She was a powerful Queen."

Farrah stopped to allow Salim to pour her another cup of tea. At least, it could have been tea. But the color was too dark, and her nose knew that metallic scent all too well.

"At any rate, I only had the upper hand because I attacked her at home, where she least suspected it. It was a long, drawn out battle, but one of her Chevaliers betrayed her in the end. Cost him his life. Still, he insisted that he bury her himself, so I allowed him to. I never thought for a moment she was pregnant. I did not add up all the details until I saw a picture of you."

Farrah finally lifted her eyes up to meet Saya's, and she was startled to see the subtle determination and sympathy there.

"I do not know if I did you a favor or cursed your existence, but things stand as they are. For whatever it may be worth, I am sorry that I was such an impulsive youth."

Saya shook her head softly. "If my mother had lived to raise my sister and I, we would have lived an entirely different life, and I am starting to find a peace where I am right now. I…I thank you for your truth and your apology. But I can't mourn what meant nothing to me."

A simple nod, and Farrah picked up her fork and returned to eating.

"So, you just came up here to tell us to keep doing what we were already doing?" Tsukiko asked, not even bothering to swallow the food she was chewing.

"I came up here to make sure that the young Queens were aware of what is at stake for our people," Farrah answered, pushing her plate aside and taking the napkin off her lap. "If this King exists, I can only presume that he would be able to mate with Queens…perhaps any queen. This King could potentially be the key to a new stage in the evolution of Chiropterans. He could be just a hoax. Whatever he is concerns all of us. And I intend to offer what resources and assistance I can to ensure that he does not fall into the wrong hands.

"A lot is riding on this mission of yours, little Queens. You may yet prove yourself to be the leader our people have needed to unite them, Saya. Heaven knows that no one else desires the job."

She chuckled to herself over the idea as she helped herself to one of the pastries on the table, nibbling at it daintily before Hoshi cleared her throat.

"I hope you won't think me too rude, but may I ask just how old you are?"

Her green eyes turned upward for a moment before she looked at them.

"I believe I will be turning 1,489 this year," she mused, as if trying to recall some random fact. "I rarely think about it these days."

Somehow, Saya found herself feeling younger than she could recall feeling since she had lost her memories and believed she was sixteen. It was extremely disconcerting.

* * *

Tsukiko felt horribly conflicted as they took their leave from the breakfast. The first thing Saya told them was the last thing she'd expected to hear from her aunt.

"No one else will know about this."

Keeping secrets from David wasn't such a big deal, but from Kai? Wrong was an understatement for how she felt. She shot a glance over Saya to see Hoshi giving away nothing. It wouldn't be a surprise to Tsukiko at all if Hoshi was fine with the situation. At the very least, she was handling it all a lot better than she was.

All her life, all she'd done was train to destroy Chiropterans. Granted, it was her choice, but the fact remained that it was deeply ingrained in her being that they were the enemy. She had something to fight, and fighting was what she was good at. Her grades were never that good during the period when she and Hoshi had to go to school. Kai had never stressed over the poor reports, always encouraging her to find something that interested her. She was a physical person, and she loved the thrill of the competition. In a lot of ways, for her, fighting was the ultimate win-lose scenario. If she no longer had a foe to battle, then what could she do?

Tsukiko sighed, understanding that it wasn't that she wanted to believe that all Chiropterans should be hunted down. What she really wanted was a purpose, and she was afraid that the changes in her life were slowly stripping both purpose and people from her.

* * *

Well, today had been quite the series of revelations. Hoshi walked away from the meeting with quite the different dilemma in her thoughts. First of all, she found herself with a solid respect for Farrah, although she was uncertain whether she liked the woman or not. Time would tell if she had any ulterior motives, but the breakfast had been pleasant enough. The Queen didn't have to go out of her way to play nice, especially considering how much power she must have lingering beneath the surface. While Hoshi still deeply appreciated and respected her aunt, the age difference between Saya and Farrah let her know that there was much they did not know of the world. The scholar in her wanted to linger in Farrah's presence and pick her mind about history and policy, but the practical side of her knew that being alone with the unknown Queen was the stupidest thing she could do.

Part of her was skeptical about the effectiveness of a Chiropteran settlement that coexisted with humans, but it was undeniably possible. She need only look to the bond existing amongst their group to know that it could work. So, the only logical conclusion is that it could work on a much larger scale…

"I don't like this," Tsukiko muttered.

"Neither do I," Saya admitted. "But I know Red Shield enough to know that this is information they cannot get. If they learn that other Queens still exist… I cannot imagine the bloodshed that would ensue."

"Why do you still work with them then?" Hoshi asked.

"Because I feel obligated to finish what I started," Saya answered. "Farrah was right about that much. I freed Diva. I failed to stop her for so many years. She is my kin, and so I am the best choice to end what began with her blood."

She sounded exhausted. It wasn't until they boarded the elevator that Hoshi started to feel it as well.

"I think I'm overdue for a treatment," Hoshi said. "I'll excuse myself from breakfast. I need to think anyway."

"I will be in touch with both of you later," Saya told them just before the elevator doors opened. "We need to decide what to do ourselves."

Saya and Haji parted ways, letting Hoshi and Tsukiko walk alone to their room. Neither spoke until the door was closed behind them.

"Could we just tell Kai?" Tsukiko asked. "Lying to him is…"

"Necessary," Hoshi said, clenching fists briefly. "I don't like it at all either, but Saya is right. For now, we have to keep this to ourselves. If there is a group of people living out there peacefully, do we want to be the reason Red Shield destroys their lives?"

Tsukiko shook her head no as she went to the fridge and pulled out one of the pints of blood kept there. She tossed it casually to Hoshi before she went back to the door, her hand resting on the handle.

"I wish things could go back to the way things were."

"I know," Hoshi replied, cradling the bag in her hands. "But we have to grow up sometime."

She offered her brown-eyed twin a gentle smile, and was glad to see Tsukiko return it. As strained as their relationship had been, it was good to know that it wasn't damaged beyond repair. They were still family first.

Hoshi fished in her bags for a moment, looking for the transfusion equipment when she stopped. Slowly, deliberately, she straightened up and turned t look at the pint where she'd placed it on the table. Curiosity had always rattled her, and she'd never thought of giving into it until now. She took the bag into the bathroom, holding out one of the glasses kept there. She shifted a nail and used the newly created tool to slice the bag open before she thought too much about what she was about to do. The contents went into the glass, and Hoshi immediately felt her senses come alive as the smell of blood filled the room. Lifting the glass, she swirled the thick liquid around for a moment before tentatively bringing the glass to her lips and tilting it back.


	15. Down the Rabbit Holes

What used to be a sausage patty was now a deconstructed pile of mush on her plate. It was all Tsukiko could do not to not spill the beans on everything that had happened earlier. However, the last thing she wanted was to alienate herself from Saya further or to reopen the newly closed rift between Hoshi and herself. Still, she damn near bit through her cheek when she heard David call her name.

"Hmm?" she replied as casually as she could.

"I asked if you were still planning on trailing Sho today."

"Oh, yeah. That hasn't changed. Actually, I should probably go get ready. I'll have my phone on me, and I'll call if anything gets weird or I need backup."

She looked up from her plate long enough to see David nod his head. The questioning look in Kai's eyes damn near undid her, so she dropped her gaze back down to her plate as she pushed it to the middle of the table for the wait staff to get when they cleared it later.

As Kei was at the table, no one said anything about Hoshi's plans to keep a particularly close eye on him, but that wasn't really Tsukiko's problem. At least, it shouldn't be. Honestly, it still rubbed her the wrong way that Hoshi was training with that guy instead of her no matter what the hell he was. But if it kept Hoshi alive, how could she argue.

The elevator dinged as she approached it, and she saw a pack of guys leave it, including the distinctive tone of Sho's hair shoved under a baseball cap.

"There you are!" he said, smiling brightly at her. "I was just talking about you. You ready to head out?"

Tsukiko flushed a moment, the smile so genuine that it caught her off guard, and guilt nudged her in the back. Between the two men, she was infinitely more inclined to suspect Kei as the King. This guy was just a rocker. A really attractive rocker with some gorgeous eyes. She blinked a few times, bringing herself out of their gold-green depths.

"Umm, I was going to go throw on something a little nicer…"

"Oh, you look great as usual," he said, throwing an arm around her shoulders. She felt the flush growing.

"Well, if you say so."

"And I do. Come on, fellas, we got a rehearsal to make and a lady to entertain!"

She smiled a little, thinking that she probably got the better deal at the end of the day. Rocking out with some hunky men beat going to a training session any day of the week.

* * *

A pair of heels sat at the ready, and a heavy weight sat on her shoulders. She'd screwed up bad, and she knew it, but regretted nothing. Hoshi had always considered the transfusions as a necessary evil. She hated feeling like an invalid that needed to be treated. The infusions took a good twenty minutes or so, at least. But this morning…

The click of the gun sounded, and her feet were moving before the bullet left the barrel, and she had the old battered bulletproof vest up to catch the bullet well before she felt its impact. It finished off the star she'd been working on.

"How's that?" she asked into the earpiece she wore. "Satisfied?"

He'd holstered his weapon and was cleaning his glasses, shaking his head with a smirk on his face.

"If I wasn't, I'd just be being as stubborn as you, and one of us has to give. But if you get hit, we're done until we've worked on your speed some more. I won't be the one to put you in danger."

She resisted the urge to leap in the air with joy, smiling happily. It vaguely occurred to her that she was excited about being shot at, and erupted into a fit of giggles before making her way towards the empty space of field next to the targets.

"I hope you know that in a real fight, the assailant will be much closer than a hundred feet," he said. His body let her know how reluctant he was to finally give in to her wishes.

"We'll work our way up to that," she told him and was ready when he shot his attention back towards her. "Don't give me that. You know what we're training for. Better you than me. Just aim for the torso. It shouldn't be fatal there, even if I do get hit."

She watched him nod, taking a deep breath before letting her Chiropteran sense take over more completely, tucking a sweat soaked strand of hair behind her ear as she stood straight. Her nerves were all alight, and she could see Kei clearly from this distance, pleased when he discarded the hesitation completely and took his first shot. His words from earlier came back to her in that instant.

"_You move too much. Each breath, each motion must have a purpose. Don't do more than you need to, and always position yourself so that you can go on the offense at a moment's notice."_

The bullet travelled quickly, but she could make it out clearly as she was now, and Hoshi turned her body to the side, feeling the heat of the bullet as it burned through the air past her stomach.

"Good," came his voice. "I'm going to speed up now. Let me know if things get too hectic."

"Roger," she replied, and she had a moment before she heard another shot sound.

It was pushing midday, and she knew they'd been out there for at least a few hours, but instead of feeling tired, she felt calmly relaxed. Her body wove back and forth between the bullets as Kei adjusted his aim with each one. It felt almost like dancing, and she knew she was smiling slightly.

"Ready for multiples?"

"Definitely."

He didn't get her enough time to get into position this time. The rapidfire sound came, and for the first time since training began, she felt a tendril of fear slip in her mind. Batting it away, she refocused. Two near her torso, one slightly lower, all within the spread of about a yard. Timing was everything, and Hoshi decided to push herself and threw herself forward, tumbling easily over the first two and coming dangerously close to letting the third one graze her face. She landed in a crouching position, facing Kei, who looked a little dumbfounded for a moment.

"When the hell did you learn to do that?" he asked after a moment.

"Made it up," she answered honestly. "How about we start closing the gap now?"

Again, the hesitation. She watched him take a deep breath, looking at his gun and reloading it before looking back at her.

"Fine. We'll do this your way. We'll go until you get hurt."

Her pride smarted at his assumption. "And if I hurt you first?"

At that, he smirked a little.

"Willing to make a wager on that?"

Hoshi paused for a moment, relaxing her tense muscles as her assignment came into the forefront of her thoughts. If she was supposed to be determining whether he was the King, this might be the perfect chance to push his limits and see if he gave something away. And if she won, that could be yet another chance. If she got him away from the others, alone for a little while…

"If I tag you first, you take me out shopping," she replied. "What do you want if you win?"

"A sample of your blood."

Her temper flared for a moment. "I'm still just some test subject to you, aren't I?"

"Never just that," he replied, his voice soft. "You were never 'just' anything. But I am still very much fascinated by you. And the other Queens."

That last bit was added on hastily, and she could see his cheeks color a little, the awkward man back. She let herself be flattered by the thought that he found her interesting. For so long she'd been the quiet, boring one. Fascinating was a good change.

"Deal," she told him, bringing them both back to the task at hand. "Let's see what you have."

And with that, she let the tension build up and spring her forward, taking a zig-zag motion across the field as she plotted on how best to draw first blood. She heard the bullets whizzing by her, letting instinct do most of the work for her. He only had another loaded gun before he had to reload something. Perfect chance to strike. A pair of high and low bullets came at her as he started to move around the field, trying to maintain some distance between them. He must know it was a futile effort with her speed. She spun herself in the air, feeling one of the bullets rip through the loose fabric of her pants, but forcing herself not to let the tag distract her. There were maybe ten yards between them now, and Hoshi knew the closer she got, the less reaction time she would have. He tossed one gun to the side as he drew the other full loaded one. Six more bullets. He fired one, and she started moving closer again, trying to work through his thoughts like they were her own. He was saving bullets for when she came closer, picking his shots carefully at this point.

Overwhelm him. It was her only option at this point, and if he was the King, it still may not be enough. She sprinted forward, only shifting directions when she heard the gun go off. Four bullets. Three. Two. One. The last shot sounded just as she placed the tips of her extended nails against his neck, watching a small red pearl form. She panted, her face close to his, eye to eye as her mind and body worked to process the adrenaline pouring through her body. She'd never felt a rush like this before, and it took her a moment before the pain in her side registered, and even then, it was more discomfort than anything.

"Call it a draw?" she finally gasped, only then realizing that she had him pinned to the ground, sitting on top of him. Gingerly, she eased herself off of him. His hand reached up to feel the puncture wound she'd given him, pulling his hand away with a smear of blood on it. The entire time, his eyes never left hers, and Hoshi felt distinctly like he was seeing her as a different creature entirely. Sitting back on her heels, she waited anxiously for him to say something.

He stood up, breaking eye contact, and walking over to the duffle bag he'd brought, pulled out the small first aid kit. Slapping a small bandaid on his wound, he brought the kit over and sat down next to her.

"That was terrifying," he said, a slight tremor in his voice. "But fun as hell."

Hoshi looked at him, a smile on his face as he lifted up her shirt without prelude, fishing for the tweezers and peroxide. She stared at the top of his head as he worked, watching him grimace at the condition of the shirt as he pulled it back down.

"You brought a spare, right?"

He looked back up at her, eye to eye again, and Hoshi took a moment to register what he'd said. "Umm, yeah. I think. I'll get it."

She winced a little as she got up, glad it was only a surface wound as she fished the spare tank top from the bag. Glancing over her shoulder once, she saw him dutifully turned around, waiting for her to give him the "all clear." It rather shocked her to realize she would not have minded letting him watch at all.

* * *

Haji let the door close with a soft click behind them, and Saya's eyes immediately went to the envelope on the dresser, no writing on the cover. She could feel the plastic card inside even before she opened it up and read the printed sheet enclosed with it.

"For what Red Shield won't do."

Below the statement was a web address and login information, giving Saya further access to the funds that were present on the Visa card. Farrah was really putting a lot of faith and trust in them. She balled up the paper and threw it away, stashing the card in her purse just in time to hear a knock at the door. Haji looked at her since he was still standing near it, and she nodded to him as she went over to push open the heavy curtains and let the sun into the dark room. The door closed again before she heard who it was.

"What's going on, Saya?"

She looked up to face Kai, the increased light in the room highlighting the wear of time on his features. His hair looked more gray than red, and the smile lines around his eyes seemed especially deep. How old was he now? Close to fifty, certainly. She would outlive him by hundreds… maybe even thousands of years. For a brief moment, she clearly saw the chasm that existed between them and felt the distance between his human self and her Chiropteran nature. Then the look of concern drew her back, and Kai was once again her big brother, then one she wanted to protect.

"Nothing you need to worry about," she said, not trying to keep the seriousness out of her voice.

"Way past that point, Saya," Kai said, coming closer to her. He sat down at the table near the window, elbows on the table as he ran his hands through his hair. "I've never seen Tsukiko look so tense and out of sorts. I looked at her, and she wouldn't even meet my eye."

He stopped, looking at her, waiting for her to say something. She considered whether silence or a response would be best. He saved her the trouble.

"Never… _never_ has she ever done that. There has been no struggle, internal or external, that has ever caused her to shy away from me like that. Something isn't right, and I know it. And I know that you know what it is."

Kai's voice held neither condemnation or accusation. He was just looking for answers. Saya licked her lips, thinking of whether she could trust him or not. Thirty years was a long time. Where did his loyalties truly lie? She hated herself for even doubting him, but so much rested on her shoulders, and she refused to falter again. Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"I don't want Red Shield involved."

"I'm not asking as a Red Shield operative, Saya," he hissed, his voice as low as hers. "I'm asking as their uncle. As…as their father."

He took a deep breath to keep his voice from breaking further. "They are the closest thing I will ever have to children, Saya. I don't doubt that you care for them, but I was the one who raised them for thirty years. I've watched their first steps. Heard their first words. I dried tears, kissed wounds, sang lullabyes… They are my kids, Saya. I know you can handle yourself, and I know you'd never intentionally put them in harm's way, but I have to know. I don't know if you can understand that…"

"I wish I could," she admitted, her eyes meeting Haji's for a moment. "Maybe someday…in some sense, I will. But you are right. Be sure to let them know that you know, Kai. It's been killing them. But not here."

He nodded, standing up. "Let's go to the roof and talk. No one should hear us there who doesn't need to."

Saya took a deep breath, feeling the burden shift to something more bearable. As they left the room, she felt the warmth of Hajis hand at her back, a gentle reassurance. She'd made the right decision, and she'd defend it with everything she had.

* * *

He had her, and he knew it. She was in deeper than she knew, but he still had to be careful lest her scare her away. All that power and passion would be his if he played his cards right and his hand wasn't forced.

There was still so much that could go wrong. The other queens were very much a factor, and he had at least one Chevalier to worry about. If the other queen decided to make a Chevalier out of that other guy, that would spell major trouble. He didn't want to risk making any more Chevalier himself, especially considering his limited options. The first four had been chosen long before he'd been back in the area. New ones would point more directly at him, condemning him before he wanted to be revealed.

Then there was Red Shield, which was an annoyance at most for now. They were being careful since they didn't want to scare him. That suited his plans perfectly. He didn't want to destroy the plans he'd laid so carefully. However, he wanted what he wanted. As things stood right now, he was more than prepared to disappear with her and lock her away until she became sympathetic with his cause. And she would. Of that, he had very little doubt.

He scratched absently at the scar tissue around his ankles. Ever a constant reminder of what he worked so hard to leave behind.

* * *

"Ha, I did it!" Tsukiko yelled triumphantly to the giggles and applause from the guys around her. She handed the guitar back to Josh after finally being able to play the first few chords of the last song they'd been rehearsing.

"Just in time for lunch," Sho smiled at her.

He went to go answer the knock at the door, taking the bags from the deliveryman while handing him some cash and bringing them to the long table that sat in the middle of the room. Tsukiko bit her bottom lip, wanting to eat them all herself, but knowing she couldn't be that selfish.

"Catch."

A footlong sandwich came flying at her, and she caught it in both hands, waving it in thanks before sitting down and tearing into it.

"Might wanna chew between bites, you know," Sho teased her, sitting across from her in the small circle of chairs.

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled around her mouthful.

She didn't care if this was supposed to be work or not. Tsukiko couldn't remember having so much fun since she'd been a freshman in high school. She'd been the tomboy, the one that liked to go out and get dirty with the boys afterschool, tracking dirt in the house and having to bandage up a cut or scrape every other day. They treated her like one of the guys, and she loved it. She belched; they laughed. They teased, she teased back. It was a vacation for her from the stress and problems flowing through her thoughts the past week or two.

"If you aren't careful, we might have to steal you away and make you one of our groupies," Sho said, tossing his crumpled wrapper over towards the trashcan. It bounced off to the laughter of his band members.

"You know what," Tsukiko said, doing the same thing and landing the trash squarely inside with a soft thump. "I don't think I'd mind at all. You might need to start paying me in food or something though. I eat a lot."

The guys giggled and Sho considered her with a smile on his face. She smiled back, imagining just leaving everything behind and starting fresh. No more responsibilities or criticism. Just her, the band, good music and good food. But if he was the King…

Tsukiko pushed the thought from her mind. For right now, it didn't matter. She felt comfortable in a way she hadn't felt since Saya had reappeared. As much as she didn't want to admit it, and perhaps had been ignoring it she'd put her legendary aunt on a pedestal for far too long. She'd imagined Saya and her charging into new battles. Saya would be the superhero and she'd be the trusted sidekick. Honestly, it was what she'd been training for, to be able to meet the woman who had destroyed Diva with pride and say "I can help you." However, she'd done nothing but disappoint and get in her way.

"What's with that face?"

Her eyes widened, not realizing she'd been that lost in thought. Sho looked at her, concern in his eyes. Heavens, but he did have some lovely ones.

"Just thinking."

"About my offer? I was serious, you know."

He tilted his head a little, and she looked at the floor, needing something else to focus on.

"I've got a lot of responsibilities, some messes to clean up."

"You're sixteen. What on earth could you possibly have to be responsible for?"

"My mistakes," she said softly. It was an admission that was hard for her, but she took a deep breath and reassessed her situation and the events of the day. She may have screwed things up with Saya, but she could also fix them. She knew she could. Then maybe…just maybe she could have a sliver of that dream back, even if they had to find new bad guys to fight.


	16. Shifting Priorities

"We do NOT have the budget for this! Please, at least try to destroy only one outfit at a time."

Hoshi wanted to look at least a little guilty, considering that she'd destroyed half her wardrobe in the past couple days. She knew that shopping in this part of the world was expensive, but she hadn't had the genius idea to just reuse damaged clothing until the financial damage had actually been done. And she was supposed to be the brains of the dynamic duo. David dragged his hand over his face before staring at her, exasperation in each line.

"I apologize for not thinking more clearly," she replied finally. David gave her a final look before pulling out his wallet and fishing out a silver card. He raised it up, Hoshi reaching out to take it as their eyes met again. They grew cold, and Hoshi saw the Red Shield operative take charge completely.

"I expect some sort of concrete information to come from this little shopping expedition," he told her. "The fact that he's shed some blood doesn't mean a damn thing since no one has been of a mind to collect any of it."

His words extended to the rest of the people collected in the meeting. Kei had been sent to pick up some food, allowing them some privacy to discuss how the spying had been going. Simply put, it hadn't been going at all for either of them. Hoshi lifted her eyes to glance across the table where Tsukiko was trying desperately not to scowl. Her twin had brought even less to the table than she had.

"Thank you, David," Hoshi finally responded, stashing the card in a pocket. "I'll do what I can to bring back some information we can use this time around."

"I'm going to need you to do better than that…" he started.

"David!"

Both Kai and Saya spoke at the same time, the two exchanging a look before Kai stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"These girls are not trained spies or operatives," he started softly. "They are doing us a favor by taking on these jobs and putting themselves in danger. I'd rather them come back alive and with nothing than to die taking a risk to get that crucial bit of information because we can't do our job properly."

Hoshi recognized the tone in Kai's voice, and he was definitely scolding David. A man who was some twenty years his senior. Her eyes flashed over David's face, watching his eyes narrow for a moment and tensing in anticipation of something happening. The tension in the room stretched a moment longer before David gave one short, tight nod.

"Agreed. The twins are far too valuable to have them take unnecessary risks."

David turned to Hoshi, considering her and then her sister.

"Do what you can. If necessary, don't hesitate to call in for back up. And, as of right now, we will all make plans to attend the concert tomorrow night."

He reached onto the table, picking up one of the tickets that Tsukiko had brought with her.

"If anything goes down there, I want us all to be there to see it."

Just then, the door cracked open, making every head in the room turn to watch Kei walk in with a bag on each arm and a tray of drinks in each hand. He blinked a bit, realizing he'd walked in on something as his glasses slid down his nose, forcing him to wriggle his nose in an effort to get them back in their proper place.

"Sorry…couldn't knock."

Hoshi did an infinitely better job of keeping straight faced than her sister. Tsukiko was snickering feverishly on her end of the table, finally burying her face into her folded arms. Taking pity on the out of place man, Hoshi walked over, relieving him of both drink holders.

"Did I miss anything important?" he asked.

A soft tinge of sympathy hit her chest since she clearly heard the question he really asked: _what can you tell me since you don't really trust me._ She turned towards him, pulling over one of the bags on the table to fish out one of the donuts he'd grabbed.

"Concert tomorrow. Shopping today."

She bit into the donut, sugar falling as she watched his eyes widened in remembrance of the promise he'd made days ago.

"That's right. I have a wardrobe that needs to be replaced."

* * *

She felt him coming up the stairs to join her on the roof, and she sincerely wanted his company. The door closed behind him and he took his seat next to her, the view over the city sprawled out as far as her talented eyes could see.

"I'm worried for them," she admitted.

Haji's hand slid over to cover hers lightly, giving her comfort along with the ear she needed.

"You saw how David was acting. Heard what he said. Was he always like this, and I just too blind to see him and Red Shield for what they really are? Are they any better than Cinq Fleches?"

When he remained silent, Saya turned to face him, meeting his eyes which were already on her.

"I do not need my Chevalier right now. I need your opinion. What should I do? It was one thing when Red Shield and I were using each other for the same goal, but this hunt for the King is going places I'm not sure I want to follow."

"Kai would follow you. You are where his loyalty ultimately lies," he said softly.

"Not what I asked," she replied.

He let out a sigh, which amused her slightly. Was she so frustrating to deal with lately? Of course, she couldn't imagine being in his shoes with everything he was dealing with right now.

"You have been the center of my life for so many years now, I'm not sure what I would do without you to drive me," he went on. "I would probably lose the will to go on unless I found another purpose to live for. It is not so different from your life before you slept. Your entire existence for so long was to eliminate Diva. Now that you have, you need new purpose. I believe you've found at least part of it."

She didn't need to ask what he believed that purpose was. Saya felt it every time she looked at either of the twins. While she may have saved them out of obligation to Diva or out of the sheer inability to kill an infant who had done no wrong, this brief time with them had made her very, very protective of them. They were family, and there was very little she would not do for her family. History was a strong testament to that fact.

"I need to do what is best for them," she decided.

Haji's hand squeezed hers gently before his gaze turned out towards the city. Her fingers traced the outline of his hand where it met hers as she reluctantly admitted that what was best for them was probably not working for Red Shield.

* * *

It was with a loud and attention-seeking groan that Tsukiko sat down in the chair set aside for her as the deep strumming of a bass filled the practice room. Sho raised an eyebrow at her, and she just flung her hair back, reclining as much as she could in the stiff chair.

"One of them days?" he asked.

"Days. Weeks. Lifetimes," she chuckled softly.

He considered her for a moment, putting down the guitar he'd been restringing and walking over to the drummer, whispering to him before they both turned towards her.

"How about you learn a few basic rhythms over here with Miles today?" he asked.

She turned her head to look at the collection of instruments, trying to decide if it would be wise to touch them, as upset as she was. All it would take is one stray thought to push her feelings too far, and they'd have to replace them as well.

"The worst you can do is give us all a headache," Miles said, his English carrying an odd accent she couldn't quite place.

"The worst I could do is break something," she muttered, sitting up in her chair but not making a move towards them.

"Drums can be replaced," Sho said. "You need to work out whatever you're feeling, and it's obvious you like music. Come on."

The tone in his voice changed slightly, letting her know she wasn't allowed to refuse the invitation. With a mixture of apprehension and intrigue, she sat before the drums, realizing how short she was compared to Miles as she found herself looking up at some of the cymbals. Sho came over and started pushing his foot on the pedal beneath her stool as she raised up a foot or so, feeling much more in control of the area. Miles tossed her a pair of drumsticks before he made his way to the door.

"I'll be back with donuts."

Tsukiko couldn't help but smile. The group had learned she had one heck of a sweet tooth and took pains to cater to it when she was around for meals. Holding the sticks in her hand, she felt a little like a kid with a new toy, wondering what to bang on first.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Caught off guard, she almost dropped the sticks as she looked up at Sho where he stood just to her right.

"Not really."

A nod, and he took a step back, more than willing to let her play and explore on her own. To make what mistakes she needed to make before figuring it all out. To just enjoy the experience as it is.

"I'm just tired of feeling like a screw up," she heard herself say.

"Like you're never good enough."

A statement, not a question. The emotion in his voice echoed the feeling in her heart, and she briefly felt her eyes start to burn. No, she would not cry. She was not some sixteen year old child who pouted when she didn't get her own way. She would not cry.

But her body wouldn't listen, and Sho handed her a tissue, so Tsukiko wiped away the few tears that escaped her determination before she began wailing away on the drumset before her. Somehow, the drumset survived.

* * *

"I'm not sure bringing you along was the best idea I've had…"

Hoshi stood in front of both Kei and mirros, admiring the sweater dress she'd put on, the dark green tone flecked with blues that brought out her eyes flatteringly. Kei was avoiding looking at her, a slight flush on his face that only made the scabbed wound on his neck more prominent. He hadn't bothered to bandage it today, and considering that it was mostly healed, that was fine. It drew less stares that way, she supposed. Hoshi turned around and glared at him until he raised his eyes and finally looked at her.

"Yes or no?" she asked, as she had with almost every outfit she'd put on.

He'd already begun to shrug when she took a step forward, frustrated that he'd become the fumbling awkward man again.

"I don't want to hear 'I don't know' come out of your mouth again until he step foot back into the hotel, do you understand?"

His lips pursed together before he sighed deeply, nodding his assent, shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Yes," he replied softly. "Yes to both."

Hoshi smiled brightly at him then. "Was that so hard?"

"Harder than you know," he mumbled.

She disappeared back into the dressing room, taking off the dress and folding it, having decided that it was coming home with her.

"Care to explain?" she asked.

She slipped back into the brown turtleneck and jeans she'd come out in, pulling back the curtain and dropping off the items she didn't want at the return area. Kei shifted uncomfortably behind her.

"About?"

"Your awkwardness with women. Or anything social, for that matter."

"What, here?" he asked, getting up to follow her to the register. "Now?"

Hoshi wondered how odd they looked, then realized that people probably just suspected he was an older brother. He was carrying around all the bags she'd accumulated on this trip to the nearest outlet. He might've been able to pass as her boyfriend if he didn't flinch every time she asked him a question. Hoshi waited as he handed the woman his card along with his fake ID. She looked between the two of them before smiling.

"You've got one generous boyfriend," the cashier told Hoshi, handing back Kei's card along with the receipt.

Kei's mouth dropped for a moment, and Hoshi took charge of the situation, grabbing the bag of new clothes in one hand and his arm with the other.

"I try not to take advantage of him. Too much," she giggled. "Thank you!"

Before Kei could manage a word, she walked them both out of the store and into the brisk air, heading for the nearest café to grab something to eat. It was only once orders were placed and they were seated did he finally get anything out.

"Your boyfriend?" he sputtered.

"So it would seem," she smirked, toying with the edges of her napkin. "No point in correcting the woman since we can't tell her the truth, is there?"

"And you're ok with that?"

She looked at him, trying to read something other than shock on his face.

"But you aren't," she stated. "Why?"

"It's just…I've…I'm not sure…"

The waitress came over with the soups and sandwiches she'd ordered for them both, settling the water glasses down before excusing herself. Kei barely acknowledged her presence, grabbing the water and gulping half of it before finishing his previous thought.

"I've no idea how a boyfriend would even act, so how…"

"You've never dated anyone?" Hoshi asked, dropping her spoon into her bowl of tomato soup.

Kei shook his head before his expression changed, eyes darkening a little as he looked up at her.

"And you have?"

Hoshi looked at him for a moment before a soft smile touched her face.

"If you could call it that," she said, sipping some of the soup before continuing. "It was more of a mutual crush. Of course he didn't know who…what I was. It was a guy I saw for a few months while I was still attending high school."

"I don't know if I'd count that," Kei said, biting into his sandwich.

"More than you've done, apparently," she retorted.

The look on his face said he'd concede that point as he tore through what remained of the half in his hand. His guard was down now, it seemed. He was back to her practice partner, the one who scrutinized her. This man, she could deal with. More importantly, she could get him to talk.

"Tell me about yourself," she said. "You said your father worked for Cinq Fléches…"

"He did," he replied instantly. "My mother left us both at an early age. My father always told me that she couldn't take the responsibility of me and the distance of him. That was probably when he threw himself entirely into his work."

"Only to find out what the purpose of it all was…" Hoshi put in.

Kei nodded, spoon lifting some of the potato soup he'd ended up with to his mouth, chewing a bit. "I was about sixteen or so when he died. Left me the house, naturally, but at that point, we'd become completely isolated from society. So things like dating and play dates weren't really part of the monthly agenda. I ended up being home schooled for most of my youth, only heading out on rare occasions, typically with my dad to some location for some study. My world pretty much revolved around him and Cinq Fléches. And then that affair began to crumble, but not before they came to see if Dad had any loose ends to tie up. So I snatched his stuff and ran."

"Until you stumbled conveniently across our little place," Hoshi added.

He stiffened a little, only for a breath, but Hoshi noticed. His spoon pushed around the last few lumps of potato and celery in the bowl for a moment.

"The truth is," he said, "that I've always been looking for you. Not you, specifically, but for any Queen. Surely no ordinary person could understand me. I had hoped that you might."

An icy chill rose through her spine at those words. It sounded oddly like a confession.

* * *

Saya sat in the common room, Haji at her side with a book in hand. She knew the Queen was still in the hotel. More than that, she realized that Farrah had been hiding her presence at first, revealing herself only once they had met. With Diva, the connection had been like a thread, tugging at the depths of her heart in a painful way. The tug was sharper the closer they were. With Tsukiko and Hoshi, it was more of a general sensation, a warmth like moving into a ray of sun. Farrah…

An electric tingle raced up her back as she felt someone slide into the seat behind her. Saya sat up a little straighter, as though trying to avoid getting shocked. A soft chuckle rose.

"Let me turn it down a little," the accented voice said.

Just like that, the sensation softened to a soothing buzz, and Saya almost melted back into her seat.

"Has there been any progress?"

The words were almost too soft for Saya to hear.

"Umm…not quite," Saya finally answered, thinking of how to word the request she'd come to make. "If we were to break our ties with Red Shield…"

"Then my sanctuary is yours," Farrah immediately said. "However…"

Saya felt Farrah's charge increase to an unbearable strength, paralyzing her where she sat, muscles slightly twitching out of control with the power that was being forced into them.

"If this is a scheme, young Queen. If you betray me. In the moment I realize that betrayal, you will breathe your last breath. Is that clear?"

And just as quickly, the overwhelming presence vanished. Saya leaned forward, gasping for air as Haji knelt in front of her, his hand heavy on her knee as he looked into her face with more concern than she could ever recall seeing. No…not just concern. There was fear laced in his dark blue eyes, a soft sheen of sweat on his brow. He had felt it too.

"I'm fine," she told him, her hand on his. "I'm…fine."

She stood on shaky legs, allowing Haji to put a hand around her waist to steady her. Saya managed to turn around to see Farrah standing at the entrance of the common room. Her eyes flashed green once. Then, Farrah was gone. And with Farrah left any doubt Saya had about her decision.


	17. Seeing Red

Hoshi held the square of gauze over the puncture wound, knowing it was more to keep blood off any of her clothes than it was to stop the bleeding. Kei was too engrossed in the small tube of blood he now held to see her throw it away just as quickly. His eyes flashed towards her before he pushed his glasses further up on the bridge of his nose.

"Are you sure?" he asked yet again. "I don't want you getting in trouble…"

"That's my business, thank you," she replied as she had before. "But you had better go stash that somewhere before dinner. The last thing you need is for David to see you with it."

"Oh!" he said. "Right. Thanks again, Hoshi. I'll see you soon."

With that, he disappeared out her door, and she walked around the bags on the floor to glance around the hallway as he disappeared. Hoshi stood there and waited until she saw him enter his room and close the door, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. Only then did she turn around and shut her own door, contemplating what she had just done.

Eyes drifted towards the trashcan that held the gauze with a drop of blood on it. So much information held in a single drop, and she'd given him and entire tube of it. Science had never her preferred subject, but she knew enough to know that she'd pretty much handed Kei a blueprint of her physical being.

And now she was feeling guilty about it. She picked up a bag and dumped the contents onto her bed, her eyes focusing on the shirts and dresses while her thoughts were elsewhere. The thing was…she didn't even feel guilty about giving him her blood. She was worried about whether the act would be seen as betrayal by Saya and Kei. Her body froze in the middle of its movement to pick up the next bag on the ground as she realized just what her thoughts meant.

She trusted Kei. As much suspicion as he generated and as much mystery that surrounded him, she was willing to trust him. Hoshi left the bag she'd been reaching for on the ground as she sat down on her bed to consider this revelation.

It was about much more than their practice sessions. They didn't even really know if the King meant them any actual harm. As close as he probably was to either of them, if he just wanted them dead, he'd had plenty of opportunities. No, his goal was much deeper than that. Her memories shifted back towards the fights with the Chevalier; how quickly they were all killed the second time. The betrayal they'd spoke of. A leg started to twitch as a thought itched in the back of her mind, taking a moment to fully form and bringing her to her feet along with it.

The King had sent those women to their slaughter. It had not been an attack to kill them, especially not that second one. If the King was watching them as quickly as she suspected, he'd have known that the six of them were more than enough to handle two Chevalier, even if half were human. So what was…

"He was testing us," she muttered, her thoughts coming to the only conclusion she could form with what limited information she had. "He's been watching and testing us all along. But…"

Before she could ask why, her body turned cold with another thought. Afterall…a King could hardly have a lasting legacy without a Queen. And if a King and Queen could mate…

Hoshi forced her thoughts to stop before she followed them any further. She couldn't finish them. At least, she didn't want to, but her mind was ever the analytic, and it continued its course to the end. The King was choosing his Queen.

"We've played right into his hands," she muttered, her pacing stopping as her thoughts reached their end. "He's become very intimate with one of us. The only question truly remaining is which one."

Her heart dropped at the thought of Kei actually being the King. It was one thing for him to merely be a male Chiropteran. Hell, she could even have lived with him trying to kill them. But no one was going to make her or her sister a broodmare for some kingdom, no matter what wrongs he'd dealt with. It would undermine every feeling she'd had that day towards him. It would make every compassionate word he'd ever said to her meaningless. It'd make ever critique more cruel. She was surprised how much just thinking about it affected her.

Still, she didn't know if that meant they should turn over the King to Red Shield. Kei had been right when he killed that Chevalier. Living in a cage, as an experiment, was no life. It was inhumane, and while they clearly were not human, that did not mean they should be treated like animals. Farrah was right about that. The King needed to be handled just by them.

Letting out a huff, Hoshi bent to pick up a bag before feeling faint and having to catch herself as she tumbled forward. When had her last drink been? Too long since she had to think about it. She pushed herself up slowly from the ground and made her way over to her bag, pulling out a blood pack and slicing it open to pour into a glass. Hoshi raised it to her lips and took a deep drink, feeling better already as Tsukiko walked into the room.

* * *

It really wasn't even about the mission anymore. It was about getting away from everything and everyone. Now and then she would pick at him…try to get information on where he was from and how the band got started. Information she supposed that they could use. But the moments she remembered why she was supposed to be there were growing fewer and fewer. At some point, it had become about the music and the forming bonds between herself and the bandmates. Which really was fine since it all was a part of her job anyway, right? She wasn't really doing anything wrong…

Tsukiko had been in a fairly good mood when she'd come back to her room and tripped over one of Hoshi's bags on the floor. Nudging it out of the way with her foot, she opened her mouth to rebuke her sister's uncharacteristic sloppiness when her lips continued to part, jaw slacking as she watched her sister pull the blood-filled glass from her lips. Her senses flared as her body reacted to the sight and smell of the blood even as her mind rejected it.

The two stared at each other, the only sound was the damp brush of Hoshi's tongue along her lips. Tsukiko clenched her nails into the palms of her hand, forcing her gag reflex to keep the sweets in her stomach where she'd intended them to be. For moments, they simply held each others' gazes until Hoshi brought the cup up to her lips again.

"What the hell?" Tsukiko yelled, charging across the room towards her sister. "What on earth are you doing?"

Hoshi sat her cup down on the table to cross her arms. She adjusted her stance, crossing her arms and clearly standing her ground.

"Exactly what it looks like," her blue-eyed version replied. "It gets the job done faster and with less pain."

"But how can you stand the taste…the smell! That's not what we do!" Tsukiko said.

"And why not?" Her sister's voice remained calm as she took a few steps towards the center of the room to bring herself closer to Tsukiko. "Why don't we? Better yet, why shouldn't we?"

"It's not natural!"

"It is for us. I'm pretty sure that when Farrah was created, they didn't have transfusions. How do you think she got blood into her system? How do you think our mother…"

"Don't call her that!" Tsukiko shouted.

Hoshi 's face recoiled at the vehemence Tsukiko threw at her. Good. She should feel horrible about what she said. That woman may have brought them into this world, but she refused to acknowledge her as kin. She'd done so many horrible things during her life. She wanted nothing to do with Diva if she could help it. She took a deep breath and stared down her sister before watching Hoshi turn around and start to grab the cup again. Tsukiko flashed to her side and smacked it out of her hand, only thinking of the massive blood stain it would leave on the carpet after it began to soak into the dingy fibers. Hoshi looked at the ground and then back at her. Her eyes brightened as power started to surge through them.

"You have never accepted what you are," Hoshi told her. "Never. You run around and play the attack dog for Red Shield because that's what Saya did. You've been trying to walk in her footsteps for so long that you don't even know who you are yourself. "

Tsukiko took a step backwards and Hoshi turned towards her, bringing herself almost face to face with her.

"That…that's not true," she answered.

"It's not?" Hoshi asked, mockery in every syllable. "When was the last time you had an original thought? All you do is shoot first and ask questions later because that's what they expect from you. So don't judge me and what I do just because you're only a puppet…"

Her body moved first, a quick punch to the face that knocked Hoshi into the chair, breaking it with a loud crack. Tsukiko looked at her hand in horror, blood on her knuckles matching that on Hoshi's lip. Her heart raced as she moved forward, ready to apologize when Hoshi started laughing. The sound completely confused her and froze the words in her throat. Had her sister finally snapped? Was that was this was all about?

"Thank you for proving my point," Hoshi said, her fingers dabbing at her lip where it had busted. "You're all brawn because I clearly have the brains."

She grabbed her sister's collar and yanked her towards her, smelling the blood from the wound and that lingering on her breath. Tsukiko trembled, wanting to hit her again and again until she took it back.

"Take it back," she said softly.

Hoshi looked at her for a moment before looking down at the stain that melted into the dark carpet. She said nothing.

"Why are you being like this?" Tsukiko asked, hearing her voice waver even as her hand did.

The light in her blue eyes dimmed slowly as they finally disappeared.

"Because things have to change. We can't keep going on like we have been. We have to…"

Saya and Haji ran through the door that connected the two rooms, staring at the two of them as David and Kai came in after them. The surprise on their faces registered as they realized that the girls were not under attack, but were attacking each other. Sadness filled Saya's eyes as she took a step towards them, but not before David spoke.

"What the hell is going on?"

Tsukiko looked at her sister, who looked back and then looked at David.

"We were having a discussion."

Tsukiko let go of Hoshi's shirt, hating that they had an audience now. What was Hoshi about to say? Could it have been any more life changing than what she'd already managed to utter? She turned away from her twin, walking past the crowd of people when David reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"Let her go."

Tsukiko started at the slight echo in the statement, realizing that it had come from both Saya and Hoshi. Both had a glow in their eyes, and David looked at them before releasing her. Tsukiko let her eyes roam over them all, resting finally on Kai. There were too many emotions there for her to deal with, and she left all of them right where she'd found them as she walked back out the door and down the hall, making her way to the stairwell. Her hearing told her that there was no one there, so she leapt from floor to floor, finally arriving at the door to the roof. She went to the edge of the building, standing there for a moment before she sat, pulling her knees into her chest and hugging them to her body, trying to sort out what the hell had just happened.

A puppet. No, that wasn't true. It wasn't true at all. She'd wanted to join Kai and his fight. She'd been glad when he told her she was even better than Saya had been. It meant…well, that she was good at something. She'd done ok in school, but if she wasn't being active then she didn't feel alive. But that didn't make her a puppet. Did it?

But what did it make her? Now that she was away from the situation, she could agree with Hoshi that she had never accepted the fact that she was a Chiropteran. She wasn't one of them. She couldn't be. But she was. And it was time she faced it. Perhaps there was some truth in what Hoshi had said. No…there was a lot of truth. Because now that she was on the verge of admitting that she was made to be the archetype for every other Chiropteran that was not a Queen… That meant everything had to change. Because she knew that every time she fought one of them now, she would see Hoshi sipping on blood. She would start to recall the cries of betrayal as the Chevalier suffered at her hand rather than the failure of a mission. She would wonder if Farrah had it right all along.

And she would regret just how wrong she had been.

* * *

Saya refused to even attempt to eat more than the roll she had eaten maybe half of since dinner had started. Haji sat at her side, drinking wine and keeping his thoughts to himself as usual. That was just as well. She didn't need his opinion on the matter since she had a very strong one herself. Her face lifted for a moment, looking from Hoshi to Tsukiko and then to David. Hoshi picked at her food, looking mostly tired. Tsukiko had inhaled hers out of spite, looking mostly defeated. And David…he was ignoring the entire situation. Saya resisted the anger growing in her before the fear took over and brought her power forth in a public setting.

She had been ready to throw David into a wall when he grabbed Tsukiko earlier. It did not matter what had happened between the two sisters; that was their business…maybe hers. But he had no right to grab her like he was her father. Like he owned her.

"Saya?"

His voice interrupted her thoughts, and she inhaled through her mouth, exhaling slowly through her nose to calm herself.

"Yes?"

"I asked if you had anything you wanted us to focus on when we go to the concert tomorrow?"

Her thoughts drifted back to Diva's concert and the catastrophe that almost caused.

"We'll have backstage passes, yes?" she confirmed.

"Sho said he was good for it," Tsukiko replied. At least she was present enough to answer promptly. Saya felt a little relieved before continuing.

"You've been to the venue, so you know it best, Tsukiko. If we give you the word, shut the concert down. I'm sure Kai and David remember when Diva used sound to trigger a turn in the audience. We don't need to be distracted if Sho turns out to be attempting the same thing my sister did."

Her sister… She looked at the twins, addressing the fear that had formed when she walked in on them at each other's throats. It had reminded her far, far too much of her battles with Diva. An irrational fear told her that the two might be destined for a similar fate. She prayed that was the farthest thing from the truth. Remembering how they had come to great her together when she awoke, she knew that they had grown up close. They were truly sisters. They were bound to fight now and then, and the overall situation was growing tense.

Tsukiko looked like she was going to protest for a moment, then she nodded.

"I can move fast enough through the area since we've got front row seats anyway," she said. "I do really want to see this concert…"

"We aren't going just to…"

David stopped as Saya stared at him and just barely realized her eyes had started to glow. He gave her an unreadable look before he looked back towards the twins.

"Anyway, just keep your eyes open and your heads clear. Enjoy yourself if you must, but be ready for action."

Saya took that as her cue to leave and stood up, Haji rising with her.

"I'll see you all bright and early," she said, looking at the girls, then Kai. She nodded towards Kei. She ignored David as she walked past him.

Haji was a pace or so behind her and he didn't say anything until the elevator door closed behind him.

"I've never seen you so upset," he told her.

There was a softness in his voice that pulled her attention completely towards him.

"Can you blame me?" she replied. "I come back, wanting nothing but to try to make something of what is left of my life only to be thrown back into another conflict I didn't want. I didn't save those girls to have them dragged into this world. I didn't want to be dragged into this world! Why can't everyone just leave us alone"

Haji reached out and pushed the red button, stopping the elevator and pulling her into his arms, holding her against him. Saya pushed her face into his chest, letting out a scream she didn't know she'd been holding in. Instead of making her feel better, it just made her more upset. How old was she, about to throw a full-fledged tantrum into the arms of the man who loved her. But what better place was there for her, really?

"I don't blame you. But that is not my job. It has never been to judge you, Saya. Even when I learned of Joel's intention for me, I never let it reflect on you. Since the time we met right up until now, all I've ever wanted was to support you the best that I could."

Pulling her body away from his slightly, she looked up at him, wondering if he knew the gift he'd just handed her. As well as he knew her, he must. For so long, she'd lived with the guilt of wondering if he ever resented the fact that she'd unknowingly made him her Chevalier all those years ago. He'd soothed both new and old wounds with a few sentences.

He loosened his hold on her to push the stop button again, letting the elevator begin its journey again. Saya took a step back, letting some space exist between them for the moment. When the door opened again, Kai stood on the other side, eyes stern and looking deep into hers.

"You're done, aren't you?" he asked her.

She and Haji stepped off the elevator standing in the hallway as it closed and moved on to collect its next passenger. For a moment, she stretched her senses, wondering where David might be and how much he suspected. Saya nodded once, slowly.

"Then you know I'm coming with you."

Hesitating a moment, she finally nodded again. If Farrah had, in fact, created anything close to a coexisting society, Kai would probably be safer there than he'd ever been with Red Shield. It was just a matter of timing now, and it was everything.

"I'll let you know when we make our move. It must be quick. I'm not sure what good…our refuge will be until we actually reach it. But we do have resources at our disposal."

Kai sighed, shoulders sagging, and Saya let her eyes take in the lines around his face and the salt in his hair. He should have had his own family…lived his own life. Would he ever get a chance at a peaceful life?

"We both attract trouble, don't we, brother?" she smiled softly.

"We? What are you talking about? I just get caught up in yours, little sis."

She let herself giggle softly, heading towards what passed for home these days. Looking to either side of her, she felt an odd sense of calm in knowing that, despite all the trouble that had found them and all the days that had gone, these two men still stood firmly at her side.

Life really wasn't as bad as it seemed.


End file.
